Path of Fire: The Broken Blade
by SpartAl412
Summary: Duty is a concept known to many races of the galaxy. For some it is a path to rise above one's station, for others it merely something expected to be done with little asked for in return. For those of the latter some stoically carry out their duties and ask for nothing in return. Yet sometimes, duty become a heavy burden which can break the warrior's spirit or forge it anew.
1. N7219-A83

**Inquisitorial Report: N7219-A83**

 _Ave Imperator, Ave Dominus, Ave Humanitas._

 _To my Lord Inquisitor_

 _As requested by the Conclave of Nurena, I, your loyal servant, Rikar Sereven have completed my oath-sworn task in compiling the information regarding the heretical domain of the Palladian Stars. Located in the far east of Segmentum Ultima, the people of benighted worlds within the Palladian Stars have committed the gravest of heresies, Betrayal and Apostasy by turning their backs against the holy light of Him on Earth, in favour of the blasphemous faith of the xeno species known as the Tau. Judgment has already been passed by the most noble, High Lords of Terra, that those souls residing within the Palladian Stars have been branded,_ _ **EXOCOMMUNICATE TRAITORIS**_ _._

 _Although righteous judgment has been passed, it has yet to be delivered due to far more pressing concerns within the Imperium. As my lord is already aware of, the most hallowed realms of our Empire, are rife with conflicts against forces within, without and beyond, thus leaving our valorous legions stretched thin across many fronts. It is by the infinite wisdom of our Immortal Emperor and his appointed officials that military assets are to be focused on where they are needed most._

 _On worlds such as the mighty fortress of Cadia, the dread forces of the Archenemy still maintain their foothold, acquired during the recent 13_ _th_ _Black Crusade. On the world of Armageddon, the brutal and savage Greenskins continues to wage their ceaseless wars of barbarism against the valiant defenders of the planet. And perhaps most dreadfully of all, are the many invasion fleets of the Tyrannic Swarm whose bio-constructs are capable of leaving entire worlds as barren, lifeless rocks and have time and time again proven capable of infiltrating the highest echelons of Imperial society._

 _It is most understandable that while yes, the holy armies of the Imperium should focus their attentions on these greater threats, to turn a blind eye against the Palladian Stars is to court a future destruction. While agents of the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition have performed a most exemplary service in suppressing information about the Palladian Stars from the greater Imperium, there have been reported and verified occasions where knowledge of this heretical state has leaked with disastrous results. If such dangerous knowledge were to further spread, then the Palladian Stars could potentially be seen as a rallying point for various rebellious insurgents as well as for secessionist factions across the eastern reaches of Segmentum_ Ultima _._

 _To understand how these far flung worlds could pose such a threat to the greater Imperium as a whole, one must know the history of the Palladian Stars, which I will be covering on my next report._

 _With Humble Respect_

 _Rikar Sereven, Lore Master in service to the Ordo Xenos_

 _ **There is only the Emperor,**_

 _ **And he is our Shield and Protector.**_


	2. Prologue

Sprinting as quickly as my hooves could carry me; I leapt forward and landed with a roll, just in time to avoid the volley of primitive rounds which flew over my head. A brief moment of vertigo followed but my mind remained focused and as soon as the momentum of the roll slowed down, I shot back up to my hooves and dashed towards the nearest piece of cover. My back slammed against the hard surface of a large "rock" and I softly panted as my lungs demanded for air.

So far so good, I thought as I glanced to my right and I saw the way which the foliage of plants rustled and I could hear the barbarous war cries of the enemy who fired their guns with typically poor accuracy. Moving back into cover, I checked the ammunition counter of my Pulse Carbine which was now lighted red and showing that there were only three shots left. Pressing the button to eject the Pulse Cell, it made a click as the metallic bar was slipped out before swiftly placing in another cell which then made an audible beep and the ammunition counter showed that it was now capable of making a full, thirty-two shots.

The screen of foliage behind me exploded in a shower of leaves as several hulking _Be'gel_ burst forth, each of the beasts was armed with primitive blades and heavy pistols, the usual sort of close-combat weaponry favored by their kind. Reaching for one of the Photon Grenades attached to my belt, I primed the disc shaped explosive device and I tossed it towards the enemy from cover. I then looked away from where it fell and the grenade detonated with a loud flash of blinding light which caused the _Be'gel_ to roar in surprise while blindly firing at everything around them.

Leaping out from cover, I began firing my Pulse Carbine at the _Be'gel_. Their heavy bodies hit the jungle floor as a fully automatic volley of bright searing blue plasma rounds cauterized their flesh and in less than a _Rai'kor_ , they were all dead. A great chiming sound began to ring across the jungle and everything around me began to slowly fade until there was nothing but a sea of white with pillars which descended to leave nothing but a flat surface.

In the next moment, I stood there, alone in the pristine white battledome which was pockmarked with black plasma burns here and there. The lights began to dim as the holographic simulation projectors powered down and in the distance, the exit opened up to reveal a pillar of white light amidst the darkness.

'You did very well; Shas'ui T'au Sheia' commented the voice of the Earth Caste _Autaku_ , Fio'la Tyen over the battledome's speaker system. 'That is a total of twenty three orks and thirty four gretchin in a span of a _Dec_ , Twenty _Rai'kor_ and exactly seven _Raik'an_ ' continued the Earthkin with barely contained excitement in his voice 'that is a new record!'

'Maybe next time, you can activate the Kommando simulations' I replied with amusement which was slightly muffled by my helmet.

'I will be sure to request a software update on my next report' spoke the Earthkin who then cut the feed of the speakers.

Placing the strap of my Pulse Carbine over my right shoulder, I casually deactivated my helmet electronic systems before removing it. It was nice to feel the kiss of warm, dry air upon my skin and I filled my lungs with it through a deep inhale of breath. Holding my helmet in the crook of my left arm, I began to make my way to the exit before the speakers suddenly came to life again.

'Ah Shas'ui, there is call for you' came the voice of the Earthkin again.

Activating the communications unit of my armour, I then asked in reply 'oh? Who is it?'

'Shas'O Kossyr is the one who sent it' replied the _Autaku_.

'Tell him that I am on my way' I then said and I began to hasten my stride.

* * *

It only took me only three _Rai'kor_ to arrive at the office of Shas'O Kossyr who was busily studying the contents of a holo-terminal, most likely, tactical reports from other warzones across the _Tau'va_. As I stepped into the office which was the typically well cleaned round space, the Shas'O looked up from the terminal and by instinct, I gave the Commander a sharp salute by solemnly placing my right fist over the center of my breastplate where the insignia of the Empire was placed and the Shas'O gave slight nod.

The Shas'O was, like myself, dressed in the brown nanocular-thread fatigues usually worn under the armour of Fire Warriors. His flesh was a healthy shade of dark blue with many scars and wrinkles which showed his advanced years which was not very common to see among those of the Fire Caste. My respect for the Shas'O is great for since my first days as a Shas'la, I have looked up to him for both mentoring and leadership.

'At ease' nodded the Commander with a slight smile before gesturing towards a nearby chair. 'I would stand to greet you, but well…' said the Shas'O who trailed off while looking down towards where his legs used to be and there was a somewhat pained expression on his face which was mixed with disbelief.

'There is no need for that Commander' I said with sympathy for the Fire Commander's stoicism was commendable, despite his personal loss. As I took a seat, the Shas'O of whom was now confined to a grav-chair (but at least was still capable of piloting a Battle Suit) shook his head and focused back on reality.

'I am sorry Ui'Sheia, the wound of it, the one that runs deeper than flesh is still rather… fresh' said the Commander while regaining his composure.

'I understand Commander I reply. 'I have read the reports and many among our Cadre are now experiencing… _Ieur'tae'mont_.

'Have you heard then?' asked the Commander with a barely concealed remorse and I gave him a sober nod.

'The _Kau'ui_ (or Cadre) is to be… disbanded' I answered and my attempt at trying sound detached about the matter was not very successful in hiding the distress that I felt.

A moment of solemn silence passed between us as I recalled the events which led up to our current situation and I could see it on the Commander's face that he was thinking of it as well. It was sad really that our _Kau'ui_ , the one which I have spent most of my life serving as part of will cease to be and the few surviving members who are still fit to serve will be transferred to other Cadres. It was part of the duty all members of the Fire Caste must bear, but it is a hard one which every Fire Warrior quietly hopes will never come to pass for the Cadre was our community, our family and to have that gone was deep loss to all who had been part of it.

Our _Kau'ui_ had taken part in a series of campaigns across multiple worlds alongside the alien species known as the _El'dar_. Wars that were fought against the barbarous _Be'gel_ , the devouring swarms of the _Y'he_ , the _Gue'la_ Imperium and the most dreaded of all were the deathless Necrons and the _Gue'mont'sha_ , or as the _El'dar_ and the _Gue'vesa_ auxiliaries simply called last one, The Forces Chaos. The conflicts had been long and bloody but the according to the _El'dar_ whose words were believed by the Ethereals and the Water Caste, that if we did not stand firm then great ruin would befall both of our species.

As was our duty to the Greater Good, we of the Fire Caste along with the fleets of the Air Caste, made the sacrifice. Of our "allies", I know not what became of them for they had disappeared soon after that last, great battle. According to the Wate Caste, the _El'dar_ had left word, a warning that others of their mysterious species may either know not, or likely not care of the alliance the _Tau'va_ had formed with the _El'dar_ of the clan _Val'ser'ys_ for there supposedly were many separate groups among their species, a number of which were hardly unified and others whom our "allies" will not intervene in if certain parties decided to stand against the _Tau'va_.

'Anyway, there was something I need to inform you of' spoke the Shas'O which snapped me out from my reverie and I returned my attention to him. 'The _Shas'ar'tol_ has decreed that you are to be transferred to a new, "experimental" _Kau'ui_ which is being formed' continued the Commander.

'An "experimental" _Kau'ui_?' I asked with a bit of suspicion 'what sort of experimental?'

'To be specific, it will be a… _Rehg'ment_ ' explained Fire Commander who pronounced the last word with care.

'You mean a Regiment?' I asked for that was the word which the _Gue'va_ used to refer to their own military forces among the so called Imperial Guard.

'Err yes, that one' replied the Shas'O who then gestured for me to come over to his side of the holo-terminal.

I acquiesced and moved next to the Shas'O who was pointing towards a section of the screen which bore the official insignia of the _Shas'ar'tol_ , the High Command of the entire Fire Caste. The Shas'O then touched a part near the bottom of the holo-screen and he maximized small circular shortcut which opened up the message which had been assigned to me. My eyes quickly scanned the contents of the message, absorbing the information which was displayed

It seemed that High Command has been sent a proposal by one of our more official allies, those of whom have pledge their allegiance to the _Tau'va_. These allies in question are _Gue'vesa_ from a group of worlds called the Palladian Stars Alliance (of which I honestly have never even heard of before). According to the message, the unified political entities of these _Gue'vesa_ worlds wished to establish an elite regiment of warriors, a counter to the Imperium's… _Militarum Tempestus_ (another group which I admit that I am unfamiliar with) and High Command has given their approval of this proposal.

The _Shas'ar'tol_ has also added as a condition, that an appointed member of the Fire Caste must oversee the establishment of this elite regiment and make sure that it follows an appropriate set of standards required for any army in service to the Greater Good. The message then goes on to explain that after much deliberation and surveying among the service records of hundreds of potential candidates, my name came highly recommended by one of the Ethereals, Aun'Vre Vior'la Eisha. The mere thought of the war-like Lady Ethereal was enough to make me smile but surely there are those who are more qualified than I?

I then noticed that the Shas'O was quietly looking at me and my puzzlement must have been obvious.

'You must be wondering why you were chosen and not another?' questioned the Shas'O who was quite correct. I nodded to him and he spoke 'you are a natural choice, Shas'Ui T'au Sheia, do you remember those campaigns on _Kes'ar, Nahlua_ and _Vel'oth_?'

'I do' was my quiet reply for how could I forget? I had witnessed so much death; I had slain so many different foes and the things I saw on those worlds…

'Are you all right Ui'Sheia?' asked Shas'O Kossyr with concern.

'I am fine, really' I replied while trying to the Shas'O a reassuring smile. 'So when will I be leaving?' I asked.

'Arrangements are still being made' answered the O'Kossyr 'your shuttle will be leaving in three _Rotaa_ '.

'And I will be ready by then Commander.'

* * *

 _Later..._

Looking up to T'au's night sky, I could see the countless lights which illuminated the darkness of the void. Many were distant stars while others belonged to ships, either those built by the Earth Caste or ones which belonged to the various alien species which saw the wisdom in embracing the Greater Good. The dry air was now cooled by the night and the gentle hums of passing anti-gravity civilian vehicles and artificially intelligent _Kor'ves_ Drones could be heard as they moved to and fro on whatever assigned program they were given.

Unlike the filthy Hive Cities of the _Gue'la_ Imperium, the atmosphere of T'au was perfectly safe to breathe and unpolluted by countless _tau'cyrs_ worth of chemical toxins which would have made the air absolutely poisonous. The roads and avenues of Esh'aal were kept in pristine condition by the diligent work of Maintenance _Kor'ves_ which traveled in shoals to remove any unsightly patches of grime and dirt. In the city of my birth, the wars seemed like such a distant thing as those people whether they be Tau or alien were able to go about their lives in peace.

Now riding upon an open topped, _Kor'ves_ controlled shuttle, I quietly watched as Esh'aal passed by with my chin resting upon the knuckles of my right hand. There were other passengers on the shuttle, mostly Tau from other Castes while those few members of my own Caste were young Shas'saals who gave mixed looks of respect and awe, especially when they saw the badge which represented my rank as Shas'Ui. Seeing the young cadets who have likely yet to join a _Kau'ui_ gave me a slight sense of nostalgia for I remembered how it was like when I was one of them.

That nostalgia soon turned into sadness for I began to wonder which of them would survive their first Trial by Fire. I remembered the names and faces of many comrades, who have died in battles across stars, brave warriors who given their all, in service to the _Tau'va_ and tragically, there had been so many who had met their ends far too young. Like the laws which govern the wilds, war was very much alike in that it was a place where only strongest, the fastest and the cleverest survived for there were many things which no amount of training could prepare you for.

A chiming sound came from the front of the shuttle and the artificial intelligence informed us of where we have arrived. Rising up from my seat, I moved towards the front of the transport where the exit ramp was and soon I disembarked from the vehicles which sped away towards other destinations. I then looked up to the white domed tower of the Kyr're Spiritual Convalescence Centre, a facility which specialized in the treating of patients whose maladies were of the mind, rather than the body.

I walked towards the front doors of the facility and I heard the hum of a _Kor'ves_ hovering towards me, I noticed that it was equipped with a holographic projector, a machine that was programmed to greet and assist guests. The _Kor'ves_ drone stopped in mid-air, three dozen _Tor'il_ away from me and the projector lighted up to create a full sized Waterkin male who was dressed in white robes with a pol-hat upon on his head.

'Greetings honored visitor' politely spoke the artificially intelligent Waterkin who gave me a respectful bow and continued 'welcome to the Kyr're Spiritual Convalescence Center, is there any way which I may assist you?'

I nodded and replied 'I am visiting a patient here named Shas'ui T'au Sh'en'.

'One moment' spoke the hologram as the drone checked its databanks. After two _Rai'kor_ , it chimed and spoke 'Shas'ui T'au Shen can be found in the Fire Ward, may I assist you in your visit?'

'Lead on' I replied and the hologram gave a polite bow before the Greeter _Kor'ves_ powered down the projector and it hovered towards the door at a pace which I could casually follow.

* * *

Shortly afterwards...

Soft, pleasant music which felt very calming to listen to was played along the pristine corridors of the facility while I followed the Greeter _Kor'ves_. Along the way, I passed by a number of Water or Earthkin doctors who worked at the center, the former of which dealt with the psychological aspects of their patients while the latter dealt with making sure that those under their care were given the proper dosages of the correct medications. There of course was no visible security for any disturbances would quickly be dealt with by Security _Kor'ves_ armed with non-lethal weaponry, not that such a thing would have been needed of course.

I then passed through a pair of metallic double doors which had the Fire Caste insignia displayed upon it and it opened up to reveal a beautiful indoor garden with paths of polished marble. It was a serene place with many pieces of wondrous artwork which combined with the soft music and the garden itself, served to enhance the soothing effects of their surroundings. Here and there were groups of unarmed Fire Warriors dressed in plain white robes, some wandered the garden on their own while others were attended to by Water Caste doctors.

The Greeter _Kor'ves_ made another chime which drew my attention and it began floating over the marble road. I followed the machine for short time and while I did so, I began to steel my nerve for what I would soon see. Taking a turn to the right, with the _Kor'ves_ ahead of me, the machine then floated towards a familiar figure who quietly sat upon a grav-chair while attended to by a female doctor of the Water Caste.

The lights of the holo-projector came to life again and the holographic Waterkin appeared to greet the flesh and blood one before announcing my intention. I then looked to the machine and gave it a word of gratitude to which it chimed and moved up and down in satisfaction before returning to its previous post.

'Would you like a moment in private?' asked the Water Caste doctor in a polite tone.

'Yes' I simply said and the doctor gave a slight nod to me before quietly informing her patient that I was there to visit him and Sh'en looked at me with an unfocused look, as if he were staring at something else.

'Please do not take too long Shas'ui Sheia' said the doctor 'he is scheduled for a Neurological Scan within the _Dec._ '

'Of course' I replied and allowed the Waterkin to leave us in private. I then looked to the poor wreck of a Fire Warrior before me.

'Hey' I quietly said while kneeling down upon the grass by him and gently placing my right hand on the back of Sh'en's own and only barely did he notice that I was even there.

The reconstructive surgery that had been given to him was highly successful at the least but like so many others who suffered from _Ieur'tae'mont_ , the struggle was within the mind of the individual and not the body itself. Sh'en then began to whisper something which I could hardly hear and I was forced to move my head closer so that I could discern his words and when I heard them, I felt a dread chill which flowed throughout my spirit. Sh'en was still reliving the battles against the dreaded _Mont'au_ devils and the Undying Ones who silent legions destroyed all in their path, his recounting of the events were confused, mixed up but I knew far too well of what he spoke of.

A flood of dark memories threatened to overwhelm my thoughts as I recalled all too vividly our recent campaigns, the hard days of starvation and fear, the battles against things unnatural and mighty. I remembered the Outpost-22 where our squad had investigated the disappearance of a Kroot Kindred and had later been surrounded by a horde of clawed Necrons which wore the flesh of those missing auxiliaries. I remembered the massive battle when the _El'dar_ had unleashed their Titans against those of the _Gue'mont'sha_ and how reality itself seemed to… change, alter and become corrupted by the supernatural abilities of the enemy forces.

I stood there in front of Sh'en, lost in the same memories as he was and I relived every terrible part of those battles until finally, I managed to summon the will to push those memories away… for now at least. Shaking my head and feeling a momentary sense of nausea, I knew that I could not be here for long if my sanity was to remain intact and I then refocused my attentions to the broken Fire Warrior who was now the last of my _La'rua_.

'I will be leaving soon Sh'en' I quietly said to him. 'Orders from the _Shas'ar'tol_ have decreed that I will be going to some _Gue'vesa_ world to oversee the training of a new auxiliary cadre'.

Ui'Sh'en's response was a blank look but his lips moved to whisper something so quiet which even I could not hear. It was more appropriate to say that he was trapped in those memories which I knew all too well for they would follow me until my final days. With a sigh, I slowly got up back up to my hooves and I called to the nearest doctor to signal that my visit was now over.

'Take care of yourself' I quietly said to one of the last members of my _la'rua_ but in truth, it was probably more for my own sake.

* * *

 _Three Terran days later…_

The warm sun of T'au shined brightly in the sky and a breeze blew across the open space port. I was now dressed in the full battle armor of a Fire Warrior, a Pulse Rifle was slung over my right shoulder with helmet held in the crook of my left arm and my eyes carefully searched for any possible but unlikely signs of trouble. Brawny aliens of various shapes and sizes which possessed great physical strength were assigned to carry crates of supplies and goods up the loading ramp of an Emissary Class Cruiser while a pale-skinned Water Caste Male named Por'El'Kais continuously urged caution to the stevedores.

Nearby, I saw Tyen who had recently been promoted to the rank of Ui, was directing a shoal of drones towards the ship's cargo entrance while using a device that was quite similar to the Fire Caste's Drone Controller. The thought of the Earthkin's recent increase in rank, caused me to look upon the new badge which had been placed upon my breastplate. No longer was I a Ui of the Fire Caste for I would now be known as a Shas'Vre.

My promotion had come with little ceremony when it was given to me by Shas'O Kossyr who could not hide his pride when he had given me the badge. The Shas'O was to retire and take up _Taal Saal'Y_ and already he had been matched with another Shas'O named Firewind who was by all accounts according to the _Por'hui_ media, a masterful pilot of the XV9 Hazard Suit. O'Kossyr seemed less than thrilled in regards to this arranged marriage for he claimed that he had once met Commander Firewind in the past and as he put it "Had the temperament of a _Be'gel_ ".

I smiled of course and hoped that he and his new mate would produce many strong younglings for the Fire Caste. We said our goodbyes by clasping arms and pressing our hands over one another's hearts, an expression of deep respect among the Fire Caste. It was a strange experience, I realized that for the first time, I will be going to another world without my _Kau'ui_.

Looking up to the sky above and I tried to imagine again the stars which would appear at night and I wondered if I would ever see the skies of T'au again. Instinctively, I then reached for a small leather pouch on the side of my belt and from it; I removed a small shiny golden trinket which was attached to a thin metallic string, thus allowing it to be worn worn around the neck. It was a keepsake given to me by... a friend I had met almost four _Tau'cyrs_ ago. I thought of the smiling, golden haired, blue eyed _El'dar_ warrior who had given it to me and I hoped that he was alive and well, wherever he was in the wide universe.

Placing the piece of alien jewelry back into the pouch again, I somehow began to feel a bit better about this new assignment which I would soon be embarking upon.


	3. Chapter 1

In my hands, I hold a pouch made from a silvery foil-like material and I give it a gentle shake so that it could begin the reaction which cooks the contents within it. After a few moments, I tear open the top of the container and I pour what is inside into a polished ceramic bowl. My stomach growls at the sight and smell of the steaming green noodles, _Nim ko'nai_ and I eagerly begin to eat.

The dining area within the Emissary Class Vessel was now filled with many other Tau who sat on stools around circular tables. Most were members of the Water Caste who had little to do until we arrived at our various destinations but there were also a few lounging members of the Earth and Air Castes. Of the Fire Caste though, there was only myself and five others who were of the Shas'Saal rank, youths who were being trained in exercises for naval duty and space travel.

Most remained in homogeneous groupings with members of their own Castes and discussing common matters while a few mingled in mixed gatherings. The sight of such familiarity among peers began to make me feel wistful for my old _Kau'ui_ for things had just not been the same since our last campaign. Something had changed… within all of us after the final battle against the _Gue'mont'sha,_ we had grown distant from one another, estranged I would say and when I thought about it, I think I knew why.

We were reminders to one another, faces that made each member of the _Kau'u_ i remember all too painfully those events which I think so many of us dearly wanted to forget. Whenever I looked back to my visits with Sh'en, there were many a time when I became lost in the memories of past battles which made me wonder if I should have checked myself into the same hospital to receive mental care. Even a broken blade can still cut, I reminded myself, an old adage within the Fire Caste, a metaphor for stoicism and perseverance, even against overwhelming odds.

I continued to eat my _Nim ko'nai_ in silence while multi-tasking between that and studying a data pad which lay upon the circular table in front of me. The device contained within it, information regarding this particular series of _Gue'vesa_ worlds, with many topics such as history, culture, military strength, resource outputs, political relations and also our current itinerary. Our first stop was to an oceanic world called Masarann where we would drop off some of the Water Caste diplomats who would be guests of the planet's ruling caste.

From what I have learned of this world, the local ruler, one _Dook_ _Ak'lys A'htred_ (a name which I am fairly unsure of how it should even be pronounced), was a powerful and influential figure in the politics of the Palladian Stars and a major supporter of the integration with the _Tau'va_. After Masarann, we are to briefly pass by a world called Gedeirn where we will drop off a number of Earth Caste engineers who will inspect prototype Battesuits created by the Gue'vesa of that world and after that, we are to finally head to a world called Korusa which was where I will be sent to oversee the formation of this new regiment.

According to the data pad, Korusa is classed as one of those excessively urbanized Hive Worlds with its population estimating to be running in the hundreds of billions both registered and unregistered. I was surprised at the idea of being assigned to such a place for I have been to the mountainous cities of the Imperium and often a single Hive had more humans in it than Tau in an entire Sept! A Gue'vesa Janissary who had defected from the Imperium had once told me what life was like in a Hive and according to the human; it was as he called it "a man-made hell" where thievery and murder were merely a simple fact of life.

The data pad also went on to explain that the planet and its government was also supposed to be the political heart of the Palladian Stars. Many of the humans who had inhabited these worlds had never been part of the Imperium and were fiercely fighting a defensive war by the time the _Tau'va_ discovered them. They possessed a level of technology that was on par with the Imperium's and they had armies of well disciplined and professionally trained soldiers that had so far proven to be a most potent addition to the auxiliary forces.

There was also an addendum to the information I had been reading which had the notes, commentaries and observations from members of the Water Caste. It seemed that more than a few of these worlds within the Palladian Stars were less than sincere in their commitment to the Greater Good and that they regarded the _Tau'va_ as of merely being "allies of convenience" against the Imperium. I was hardly surprised really for there had been many times in the past where I had fought alongside auxiliaries who were more interested in either material rewards, military protection or even just a bloodthirsty need for violence over striving to maintain the ideals of The Greater Good.

The Water Caste noted that at the least, we can trust these humans to stand with us against the Imperium and other common threats but warned that without such powerful foes, they likely would have been equally resistant to our own overtures. It was also important to note that the humans or Korusa were the most supportive of the idea that the Palladian Stars should remain completely independent of the _Tau'va_ and simply regard us as allies. Already, these humans had done much to sway many worlds into following such a way of thinking with only a minority of them having fully embraced the Greater Good.

The idea of an autonomous power within the _Tau'va_ was nothing unusual though for there were species which independently governed themselves. Our oldest allies, the Kroot for example are divided into many clans called Kindreds which were led by the warrior-chieftains called Shapers and according to some accounts I have heard from auxiliary members, have reached places in the galaxy very far away from our Empire and without the knowledge from the rest of us. There were also species such as the nomadic Demiurge who maintained their own sovereignty but like the Kroot, they did their part in serving the Greater Good by contributing much to the Empire's industry and ships for the _Kor'vattra_ fleets.

It seemed like an odd thing though to grant such "allies" with questionable loyalty the permission to begin the formation of an elite cadre of soldiers but whatever reasons High Command had, it had not been shared with me and it was not my place to judge the orders of my superiors. Normally, when we Tau encounter worlds which proved quite stubborn in joining us, we take a more aggressive diplomatic approach, one assisted by the Fire and Air Castes who make it quite certain to our potential allies that choosing not to embrace the Greater Good would be… unwise to say the least. In regards to such form of diplomacy, the Water Caste claimed that this course would be highly counter-productive and they believed that the best way to gain the full allegiance of these humans was to take the slow and patient approach, one which could possibly take generations to complete.

Fortunately it seemed that there was at least one angle which we could use in improving relations with the humans of Korusa and it was something which I am certainly quite qualified for. Like many planets across the galaxy, Korusa had been invaded in the past by the barbaric _Be'gel_ and due to the unique reproductive process of the brutish greenskins, there were entire tribes of the beasts which inhabited the lower sections of the Hive World. According to a suggestion from a Water Caste envoy, if the Fire Caste were to display great skill in hunting and slaying the greenskins and their leaders, then it would go a long way in fostering goodwill with these humans.

Hunting greenskins would of course be a secondary objective but it did give me a few ideas on what I could do with this… regiment. Like many among the Fire Caste, my first Trial By Fire had been during one of the many ongoing conflicts against the _Be'gel_ and of all the myriad threats of the galaxy, they along with the _Gue'va_ Imperium and the _Y'he_ were the ones I was most familiar with. It would be a pleasant change I thought, to have a chance to fight real Orks rather than holographic simulations.

* * *

 _Many Terran days later..._

Staring into the red lens of the helmet which I hold in my hands, I see my own face staring back at me from the glassy surface. A fresh coating of white paint to signify my new rank as Shas'vre had been applied to the helmet which along with the armor which I have been issued, bares not a single blemish from its immaculate features and by my own guess, it had recently been manufactured. Lifting up the helmet and placing it over my head, the piece of armor snugly fits around me and the visors begin to light up as the helmet's systems activate.

After traveling through the void for many _Rotaa_ , and passing by both Masarann and Gedeirn, we had finally arrived above Korusa. An Orca had already been prepared to ferry our party which would be composed of El'Kais along with Ui'Tyen, myself of course and a pilot of the Air Caste who would be assigned to us. Although the humans who would be receiving us had sent assurances that they would set up their own security detail, I was not willing to leave it up to chance that everything would go without hindrance.

Once my armor had been properly secured around my body, I reached for one of the dozens of Pulse Rifles which rested upon a nearby weapon rack. The weight of the Pulse Rifle is fairly heavy but I find it to be rather comforting for like every Fire Warrior, I have trained to wield the standard issue weapon to the point that it is almost like an extension of myself. Pressing the eject button which causes the ammunition magazine to slide off, I quickly placed a new one underneath which was then magnetically loaded into the weapon and counter on the side displays a full thirty-two shots.

Placing the strap of the Pulse Rifle over my right shoulder, I then also take one of the Pulse Pistols which I made sure was fully loaded before slipping it into a holster by my left thigh. There were also other weapons within the armory which I had received the proper training in the use of but these would be brought down with us to the planet's surface via. The door leading out of the armory then began to create a chiming sound and I glanced back to see it open where a _Kor'ves_ drone was awaiting to escort me.

The automaton bobbed up and down before turning around and I followed it out into the corridors of the ship. It did not take long before I reached the hangar where an Orca surrounded by maintenance drones awaited for my presence along with those who would be accompanying me down to Korusa. Seeing that I was the only there at the moment, I dutifully waited for the others who soon arrived from the same doorway I had used to enter the hangar.

First to arrive was Fio'Ui Tyen whose task was to inspect the wargear of the _Gue'vesa_ cadre we would be assigned to as well as to supervise their own technicians. Then there was Por'El Kais who would be our liaison with the local human government as well as being in charge of the logistics.

'Is everyone ready to depart?' asked a feminine voice over my helmet's communicator and I looked to the Orca where our pilot, Kor'Vre Jura awaited inside of the cockpit.

'Let us leave at once' announced the Waterkin member of our group and we boarded the dropship through its opened rear hatch which had a loading ramp lowered upon the deck.

The interior of the Orca was not much different from others which I have ridden on over the _Tau'cyrs_ , save of course for the passenger compartment being cleared away for several crates which contained supplies, equipment and gifts which would be given to high ranking human government officials which would be El'Kais's job. We made our way past the stacked crates and towards the command deck where I take one of the three seats while Tyen takes another and Kais sits himself upon the central throne. Securing ourselves upon the seats, we then wait for Jura to finish a systems check of the Orca before the dropship begins to hum and another chime rings out to signal our departure. Closing my eyes beneath my helmet, I quietly recite a mantra to calm my mind for in the many conflicts which I have fought in; it was being aboard a dropship that the anxiety of waiting before a battle reached its highest point.

As the Orca exits the hangar and heads down to the planet, I continue to quietly speak the words which had been favored by the great commander, O'Shi'ur.

 _No expansions without equilibrium_

 _No conquest without control_

 _Pursue success in serenity_

 _And service to the Tau'va_

As we descend further down, I soon pick up the communications link between Vre'Jura and a human officer from the planet below.

'This is Kor'Vre Jura of the Air Caste requesting for clearance' said our pilot in the _Gue'la_ language which was also the same one used by the Imperium.

'Copy that, your clearance has been granted, welcome to Korusa' replied a male human on the other side of the channel.

The rest of our descent down to the planet's surface proves to be uneventful, save for only questions asked by Ui'Tyen towards El'Kais.

'What is it like down there?' asked the Earthkin towards the Water Caste diplomat who supposedly had prior experience of being on Korusa.

'A true monument to what The Greater Good can achieve' warmly replied the Por'El with a polite smile towards the Fio'U, his voice filled with pride. 'When I had still been a young Por'la, the Hive Cities had been devastated by the war with the Imperium and it was with our aid that reconstruction had been achieved so quickly. Now though... well let's just say that it is something you must witness with your own eyes.'

'What about their technology? Is it true that it is more advanced than that of the _Gue'va_?' Tyen eagerly then asked again.

'Not by much, I believe' shrugged Kais. 'At the least, they do not tie their sciences together with backwards religious dogma and it is far more wholesome to look upon.'

'How so?' queried Tyen.

'You have seen those loathsome things which the Imperium call Servitors, yes?' asked Kais in response.

'Only pictures and recordings' answered Tyen with some embarrassment. 'This is the first time I have been out of the T'au Sept actually.'

'Well let me tell you then that those Servitors are far more abominable in the flesh' said Kais with thinly concealed disdain and I quietly nodded in agreement.

There had been many times in the past when I had fought the forces of the Imperium and have encountered their half-machine constructs along with their red garbed, cybernetic priests. Often in those previous encounters, I had been filled with revulsion at how the humans were so willing to replace their own bodies with mechanical prosthesis, to the point especially when they were more machine than man. For us Tau who are taught about being part of the machine, it was merely a metaphor for working harmoniously together but for the _Gue'va_ , they took it to a horrifyingly literal extreme.

Tyen and Kais continued to converse with on another while I remained silent with the back of my helmeted head resting upon the top of my seat. I kept to my own quiet council and in my mind, I recalled with brutal clarity, one of my more recent experiences of being aboard an Orca…

 _Metal screeched as monstrous, winged beasts clawed and shrieked against the hull of the dropship which began to violently shake. Fear grips my heart as the communications network is flooded with reports of heavy anti-air fire from below while in the sky, the Barracudas attempted to fend off either the flocks of more winged beasts or enemy aircraft. A deep boom echoes outside of the transport which even I can feel from inside the passenger section while the other Fire Warriors nervously grip their Pulse Rifles._

' _Prepare to disembark!' announces the Orca pilot and the hatch opens up to reveal the battlefield before us._

 _The once green, grassy plains of Nahlua had in an impossibly short period of time, transformed into a blackened and barren land, dotted with countless jagged black stone spikes which reached high into the sky like blades held high in salute. Pulsing veins lined across the glossy surfaces of the volcanic stones and there was something about it which uncomfortably reminded me of human blood. The screeches of the winged things which had clawed against the Orcas became louder as monstrous shapes landed on the loading ramp._

 _A horrid, Obsidian black-skinned beasts with a mane of red fur and great leathery wings snarled towards us as it flexed long, sinewy arms which ended in sharpened talons. Dread coursed through my heart as I saw the hideous Mont'au devil which snarled towards us with four eyes full of unnatural fire. The El'dar had called these beings Furies, bestial entities that were akin to the those other... creatures which fought alongside the Gue'Mont'Sha._

 _The Fury let loose a fearsome blood curdling screech and by instinct, I brought up my Pulse Rifle and opened fire. Bright cyan plasma bolts slammed into the devil-thing's chest and whatever spell the thing had on my fellow Fire Warriors was broken. A barrage of even more plasma bolts struck the Fury which was immediately wreathed in pink flames and leaving not a single trace of ever being there._

 _Our victory over the devil-thing was short lived as more Furies assailed the Orca with many flying directly into the rear hatch. The walls of the passenger compartment became painted with cyan blood as the Furies ripped apart Fire Warriors with a bestial savagery to match that of a_ _Tyranid Warrior beast._

' _Sheia! What do we do!?' desperately asked Sh'en whose voice made it clear that he was already on the edge of panicking. My response was a wordless snarl as I drew a Pulse Pistol and emptied the entire magazine onto the nearest of Furies._

 _Sh'en desperately called my name over and over again, Sheia, Sheia…_

'-Vre Sheia? ' came the concerned voice of Por'El Kais and the memories of what had happened on Nahlua faded and I looked to the Water Caste envoy. 'Are you well Shas'Vre?'

'I am fine' was my curt reply.

'Are you sure?' asked Kais with concern 'You have been very quiet.'

'It is nothing to worry about' I then say more tersely.

'If you insist' responded Kais who did not seem too convinced. 'I was telling Fio'Ui Tyen over here about my time on Elusus Minor in the Sept of Velk'han and he mentioned your recent encounters with the _El'dar_.'

Giving Tyen a withering glare from beneath my helmet, he looked away for what had happened in those campaigns had yet to be reported by the _Por'hui_ media and the official story at the moment was that we had been battling against a splinter faction of the Imperium as well various alien threats and nothing more.

'I am sure there is a quite story behind that' Kais then says with a reassuring smile. 'I have heard Ethereals say that the ancient creatures are quite enlightened, for beings who do not follow The Greater Good.'

Another chime rings out and we hear from inside the cockpit, the voice of Kor'Vre Jura announces 'we will be landing in a _Rai'kor_ everyone, so strap yourselves in and get ready to meet the welcoming party'.

* * *

 _Shortly afterwards..._

Stepping down the Orca's loading ramp and onto the metallic landing pad, I catch my first glimpse of Korusa's bright, day-lit sky. Towering buildings of metal the height of mountains, covered in bright artificial lights and wreathed in clouds of smog surround us as thousands of anti-gravity based civilian transports zoom by. A large group of over a dozen armed humans await us while one of them, an unarmed elderly human male dressed in robes of red and gold stands patiently at the head of this welcoming committee.

'Welcome to Korusa, honored allies from T'au' announced the male human who speaks _Tau'sia_ quite perfectly.

'In the name of the Ethereals and the Greater Good, we give gratitude for your hospitality' bowed Por'El Kais and so began a rather overly long back and forth exchange of pleasantries between the two of them as I keep my eyes on the human guards.

Each of the human soldiers are equipped in sleek suits of iron grey armor worn over a bodyglove with small cyan lights glowing from the waists, tassets and part of their cuisses that covered the inner thighs. Small pauldrons protected their shoulders as a pair of tubes connecting from the sides of their helmets to something on their backs their shoulder-blades which by my guess is some form of air-filtration unit. Their headgear also features small needle-like antennas on one side along with the goggle-like visors with five glowing lenses and what is clearly a rubbery breathing apparatus covers their mouths.

In the hands of the human guard, they carry long barreled, scoped guns which look very similar to Pulse Rifles and I notice that each one also carried heavy pistols and grenades along their belts. Armed Drone-like machines float around some of the humans with a few of the larger ones carrying what looked to be heavy ordnance weaponry, the sort that would be a threat even to a Crisis Suit. They certainly looked as fearsome as the Imperium's Storm Troopers and I wonder how these particular soldiers would hold up against the elite _Gue'va_ infantry.

'And this is Shas'Vre T'au Sheia who will be overseeing the formation of the new Cadre' said Por'El'Kais and the human official whose name I did not catch looks to me and gives a slight bow.

'We are honored as well that you will join us Shas'Vre T'au Sheia' said the robed human who spoke with as much formality as a member of the Water Caste. 'I am sure that you will find the new Regiment to be more than satisfactory in your inspection.'

'That remains to be seen' I curtly reply which causes El'Kais to briefly give me a hard look which I ignore.

'Perhaps we should head on to the Embassy or the new battledome?' suggested the Waterkin diplomat.

'I am certain that you will find that the battledome's facilities to be on par with those found on T'au' boasted the human official who then gestured towards a long, anti-gravity transportation vehicle not far away from us. There was another vehicle which was larger and it looked to be better armored compared to the other one which we would be taking, most likely it would be for our security detail. Looking to Tyen and then towards Kais who gives a quiet nod, we then follow the robed human official and board the transport which carries us to the battledome.

* * *

The city passes us by as the transport which the humans called an "air-car" speeds through between the great spires of the Hive City. The seats of the air-car is unusually comfortable, even when wearing battle armor and my Pulse Rifle rests beside me to my left with the stock planted on the floor of the passenger section while to my right is my helmet. On the surface of the shiny glass window, I see my own reflection while seated across me; Tyen stares out in wonderment of the human city outside and I have to admit, it was quite amazing in its own way.

Hundreds of thousands of air-cars of varying colors and different sizes fly alongside our transport, their paths are guided by bright glowing beacons which marked the designated traveling lanes. Above us and below, there are far more civilian transports, which when looked up at such a distance, gave of an image reminiscent of a flowing river. Between the great spires of the city, I see long bridges where human pedestrians and ground-based vehicles travel, the speed of the air-car makes it impossible to single out the thousands of individuals and it reminds me again of the sheer vastness of this world's human population.

Quite noticeable as well were many bright neon holo-light displays which adorned either the sides of the spires or placed upon the hulls of some other air-cars or were floating around through the use of drones. Most were advertisements for various different items which seemed rather trivial and petty while others were for programs on local media channels. A few of course seemed to be military propaganda screens with clear anti-Imperium depictions yet very few I note have any mention of the _Tau'va_.

Por'El Kais continues to talk with the robed human, one Senator Erasmus Dunstan who remains cordial and polite throughout the journey. I overhear topics such as the overall state of the local politics as well as those on nearby worlds and the trade of goods between the Palladian Stars and the rest of the Tau Empire. Judging by the conversation between this Senator and the Por'El, it seems that the human has more than a bit of a vested interest in maintaining positive relations with our Empire, one which seems rather dependent on the trade of technological devices both for military and civilian use.

When we finally arrived near the vicinity of the battledome, I was surprised to see a structure that indeed resembled those on T'au with the exception that its surface was polished to a silver sheen that reflected the sunlight and gathered outside, I see several more of the armored humans standing at the ready in serried ranks. The air-car touches down on a landing pad across the battledome and its doors slide open, allowing us to immediately disembark from the vehicle. As soon as we are spotted, the human soldiers raise their weapons in salute, much like how the Battlesuit pilots do so when greeting members of the Ethereal Caste or dignitaries from other species.

I quickly note that there are also many human soldiers who wear heavier suits of armor in comparison to the ones who had greeted us, the design of their wargear marks a difference as clear as night and day. Raised high in salute were a variety of weapons which ranged from rifles, portable ordnance launchers, pistols and even close combat weapons such as swords, cudgels and axes which glowed brightly with energy fields. Guessing that these human simply maintain various different types of military units like those of the Imperium, I am certain that soon my curiosity would be satisfied.

As I look upon this gathered force of human soldiers which would soon be fighting for the Tau Empire, I decide that I might as well begin testing this new Regiment. For their sake I hope that they are as fearsome and competent as they appear to be, because otherwise, this project would be nothing but a great waste of time.


	4. Chapter 2

Carefully watching the many human soldiers that greet us, I see that they too are observing us. Clad in their fully enclosed suits of armor, their helmeted heads follow us as they maintain their salute with statue-like stillness and instinctively I become tense. Tyen and Kais remain oblivious, for they have no reason to believe that we could be in any immediate danger and I must admit that I should feel the same but years of instinct honed over many _tau'cyrs_ of warfare are not so easily wiped away.

Along the path towards the battledome, I see two other humans with equipment that was significantly more decorated when compared to the others and if the significance of such were anything like the Imperium's own officers, then they must be high-ranking leaders of some sort. Both I could easily tell were male specimens of the _Gue'la_ species, definitely older ones for sure but like us Tau, the humans were capable of using technology to greatly prolong their own natural lifespans.

'May I present to you' announces the Senator who gestures towards the two officers. 'General Tolben Verus of the Palladian Stars Alliance Military and Marquis Landuin d'Elbiq, representative of the Chevalier Orders.'

'It is an honor to meet more of our allies from the Tau Empire' formally speaks the one human male named Landuin who pounds his gauntleted right fist over the left side of his chest, over where a human's heart should be. He wore a heavy suit of armor polished to a mirror-like sheen that was heavily decorated with gold and on his back I see a large sheathed sword which looks like it would require two hands for a human to properly wield.

'Yes, it is a pleasure' speaks the other one named Tolben in a less sincere manner after giving a sharp, human military salute. This other human wore a simple iron grey light carapace breasplate decorated with many medals over where the human's heart should be, he wore a red hat over his head which displays a gilded insignia and holstered by the side of his right hip is an ornate bolt pistol.

'These fine gentlemen will be in charge of orienting you with the men and women you shall be overseeing' says the Senator with a formal bow 'and I am sure that you will all have much to discuss'.

'We are honored for your assistance Senator Erasmus' replied El'Kais who mirrors the gesture gesture before the human politician is escorted away by a pair of the sword wielding warriors and leaving us with the two military officers.

'A security detail has been prepared for you arrival' announces the General with a more professional manner, yet in his eyes, I can see the mild disdain towards us. 'I am sure that you all are eager to begin your inspection.'

'Let's begin then' I say somewhat quietly and we follow the two senior human officers towards the battledome.

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

Cautiously moving through the dark tunnels with weapons held at the ready, a mob of Ork Boyz from the Skull Breakas clan who were armed with a mixture of guns and close combat weapons remained alert for any possible dangers. The heavy, metal shod boots of the greenskins echoed through the darkness as moisture dripped down from the above. Many were the dangers of the subterranean realms known to the humans above as "The Underworld" for the orks shared it with not only each other but also many dangerous breeds of Squigs, mutants, alien creatures, killer machines and a wide host of other things which hid within the depths.

Yet in the darkness of the Underworld, the places where the light of the sun never reached, where countless ages of toxic wastes saturated the very environment, the tribes of greenskins not only survived, but they thrived in vast numbers. Many were the tales passed down over the generations, of great Warbosses who led entire Waaaghs which caused the spires to tremble and epic wars which the orks of current generations could only dream of. It was a dream which the ork Nob, Gulzog, hoped to soon become a reality as he led his mob into the territory of another Clan.

'Keep yer eyez peeled ladz' growled the Nob who carried in his left hand a heavy twin-link Slugga pistol which could fire at a fully automatic rate and a large, two-headed Choppa in his right. 'Dem sneaky Irongobz gitz could be anywherez around ere.'

'Got it boss' replied a nearby Shoota Boy who carried a Big Shoota that came with an ammunition pack.

Numbering thirty two boyz, the Ork mob were mostly garbed in clothing that came in the form of sleeveless shirts and pants made from the hides of squigs, giant rats and a bit of human along with scavenged pieces of armor. Of the guns they carried, about four were armed with Big Shootas, while seven were armed with regular ones, five carried Scorchas, two Rokkit Launchas and the rest carried a combination of Sluggas, Choppas and Bashas. A large rabble of Gretchin also followed them but Gulzog paid little mind to the runty creatures who would quickly either turn tail and run or rat them out to the Irongobz if things went sour.

'Oi boss?' asked a nearby Slugga Boy who sported a red dyed top knot made from Hair Squigs 'Ya really tink dat da Big Boss can take on Boss Man-Chewa?'

'Yeah I tink so, gunna be a gud fight though' replied the Nob who had been tasked to carry their Warboss's Challenge Pole.

For several long minutes, they traversed the dark tunnels, with trigger fingers itchy and spoiling for a fight, the greenskin party soon picked up the familiar scent of orkoid dung. Ancient metal walls daubed in paint and excrement which depicted the sharp metal jaw plates commonly worn by orks were found here and there along the passage. Underneath the jaw paintings were the simple glyphs used by the Orks which showed a mixture of challenges and threats towards other orks and warnings for grotz.

Proceeding forward with more caution, the orks soon came to a large, dark circular chamber with foul septic water flowing from tunnels along the sides. At the center of the chamber was an island, a large mound made from junk and trash collected over countless generations. This was the spot thought Gulzog who holstered his pistol and placed his axe upon a ragged squig-leather loop on the side of his belt before reaching for the Challenge Pole on his back and he handed it to a group of eight gretchin.

'Rememba da lines ya gitz' threateningly growled Gulzog and the grotz fearfully nodded before heading off towards the junk hill.

Quickly rearming himself, the Nob and his mob watched as the diminutive gretchin waded through the filthy waters which reached up to their necks and they carefully held the heavy pole above with scrawny arms raised. Soon climbing the hill of junk, the grotz raised the pole high and one of the runty things began screeching in a high pitched voice.

'Big Boss Wogroth Ead Krakka of da Skull Breakas calls a Boss Challenge ta Boss Bagrakk Man-Chewa o da Irongobz!'

A moment of silence passed and the Gretchin repeated the words again but was interrupted by a loud roar which reverberated through the chambers, speaking only two words. 'Challenge Accepted!'

Great lights suddenly illuminated the chamber, blinding Gulzog's mob and they heard the clicks of dozens of guns.

When their eyes adjusted, the mob saw the Irongobz on the other side of the chambers with loads of shootas pointed at them. The gretchin upon the hill then began to shriek and they ran down with many tripping and falling into the water. Then, a great figure appeared at the top of the hill, clad in eavy armour and wearing an impressive horned helmet, Warboss Bagrakk Man-Chewa of the Irongobz gave an imperious look towards the Skull Breakas.

Wielding a heavy shield and a massive choppa sword, the Irongobz Warboss was truly a fearsome sight for the little flesh that was left exposed had been become such a deep shade of dark green, almost black really, a mark of strength and seniority among the orks. What was truly notable about the Warboss's appearance was that like all of the Irongobz, they owned jaw plates which rather than being worn like any piece of armour was actually nailed into the bone underneath their skulls.

'Tell dat runt Wogroth ta name da time an place!' roared Bagrakk whose voice was full of confidence and arrogance for many were the tales among the clans of his prowess in battle and he had the size to prove it.

'Warboss Wogroth sez in da next six hours, at Da Squig Pit!' called Gulzog who tried his best not show any bit of fear.

'I will be waiting!' hollered Bagrakk whose boyz gave out a loud, unified roar of WAAAGGGHH!

The Skull Breakas quickly then turned around and went back the way they came with a sense of excitement in their minds. The Squig Pit was a neutral zone among the clans, a place where many Orks gambled away fortunes in Teef over the bloody arena where Squigs, Grotz, Boyz and the occasional prisoner fought to the death for the entertainment of the greenskins. Boss Fights, along with Kan Matches were especially considered major spectacles among the Orks of the Underworld.

'Spread da word ladz!' ordered Gulzog towards his boyz with a grin over his face. 'We gotz ourselves a real show tonight!'

* * *

Standing within the control room of the battledome, I looked through the clear glass screen which separates us from interior of the main training area. Sharing the same space with me is Tyen, Kais, the two human officers and a group of six human technicians dressed in white bodysuits which designated their occupations. The terminals which controlled the training mechanisms of the facility were alight with holo-displays that could be operated by touch alone, everything was now ready to begin.

The entire regiment of human soldiers were now gathered within the spacious chamber which would have been large enough to contain thousands including entire companies of tanks, they all looked up to the window of the observation room with anticipation. Expectantly watching me are also the technicians who remained on standby next to the terminals which would allow them to alter the "terrain" as I saw fit. I then gave a silent nod towards the head technician and his fellows complied, they began pressing several keys on their assigned terminals and a soft hum was heard as the holographic generators booted up.

After learning about the different sorts of simulations which the battledome could run, I decided to make use of three simulations which would push these human soldiers to their limits. The air within the dome began to become hazy and the surface began to reconfigure itself into a new shape. In mere minutes, the entire interior of the training area had become a mock, blasted plain filled with smoking craters, mutilated corpses, rusted barbed wire fences and hastily dug trenches.

'You will find that these men and women are by far the best soldiers this side of the galaxy' confidently boasted _Gue'ves'O_ Tolben who has placed one of those human burning sticks between his lips and it created a slight fog of smoke around him. Glad to have earlier put my helmet back on, I avoided inhaling the noxious fumes from the object and I remain silent, focusing my gaze upon what was past the glass pane.

Activating the communications unit of my helmet which had been synchronized with the battledome's public announcement system, I firmly speak to the gathered humans while trying to emulate the posture and tone which Shas'O Kossyr often adopted when giving an encouraging speech before missions.

'This first trial will be one to test your endurance and prowess in a straightforward battle' I announced to the humans. 'Service to the Tau'va will require many sacrifices and every warrior must learn that the greatest of sacrifices may one day be asked for.' I then let a moment of silence pass so it sinks into them and I finally say 'now fight and die well, for the Greater Good.'

The holographic generators then begin to hum again as the simulation known as "Martyr's Aegis" begins. Thunderous explosions suddenly boom across a blasted wasteland with a baleful red sky above and the human soldiers quickly begin scrambling for what cover they can find. In the distance, an illusory settlement appears with many dropships landing to ferry its inhabitants to safety. All that stands in the way of preventing the evacuation from becoming a massacre is the human soldiers themselves.

Far away from them on the opposite side of the battlefield, great spires of chitin, sinew and sharp teeth burst forth from the ground and the holo-engines spawn a swarm of the devouring _Y'he_ , the Tyranids. A living tide of the lesser creatures, Gaunts, begin to flood across the plains while larger creatures which towered over them lumber ahead with sharp claws and bio-engineered weapons at the ready. Having fought the dreadful aliens on multiple occasions, I admit that the sheer accuracy of capturing the likeness of living Tyranids is uncanny and I suppress the urge to reach for my Pulse Pistol.

Listening to the communication channel of the humans, I hear their officers begin to shout orders and quickly they establish a chain of command. They proceed to regroup to the best of their abilities and with admirable speed and precision, they set up defensive formations with clear fields of fire to support one another. On a small scale, I see that they also group themselves, according to their equipment and roles.

One particular group of warriors, called Chevaliers who were primarily armed with close combat weapons, remained behind their ranged compatriots who were simply referred to as Vanguards. I watched as the holographic tide of Tyranids swarmed towards the human squads and as soon as they came within range, a withering hail of fire was unleashed. Dozens of Gaunts were slaughtered in the first few seconds of the volley and the creatures returned fire with organic fleshborer rounds which were at best short ranged weapons that were comparable to human bolt weapons in terms of stopping power and armor piercing capabilities.

'We have casualties!' called one of the technicians and I gave little heed for each of the humans had, for training purposes, been equipped a small device that would send out a very mild and (and harmless I was assured) electric shock when one of them "died". Those who had been "slain" in the fight had been given orders to simply drop and feign their deaths while the rest carried on with the fight.

The long barreled scoped rifles which I had earlier seen the humans wield fired a fully automatic volley of solid slug rounds which were well suited for mowing down entire packs of lightly armored Gaunts. Thrown grenades detonated among the Tyranids, killing many of the creatures but not enough to make any major impact on the swarm. Slowly but surely, the Gaunts gained ground for as always when fighting the swarm, one would be outnumbered by them a thousand to one.

Much to my surprise, the humans began abandoning their positions, not all at once, but squadron by different squadron in an orderly fashion. One group covered the retreat of another with enfilade fire before falling back themselves and repeating the whole process. In my experience of fighting the Imperium, many of their military forces seemed to have an aversion for any form of moving backwards, even for tactical withdrawals which according to the occasional Imperium defectors I have spoken to in the past, the _Gue'va_ military doctrine normally encouraged only moving forwards during battles and soldiers who were not charging into the fray were assumed to be retreating and were immediately executed by the officers known as Commissars.

A rear guard is soon formed, composed entirely of the warriors known as the Chevalier who fight together in tight formations. Despite my aversion for close quarters combat which of course was a normal attitude among the Fire Caste, I could not help but admire the teamwork displayed by these heavily armored warriors who wield such weapons with a masterful skill. Forming walls with the physical shields carried upon their arms, they create surprisingly formidable bulwarks against the chitinous swarm which hold indefinitely.

Countless Gaunts and even the larger creatures such as Warrior beasts, Raveners, Lictors and even Genestealers are slain by the squadrons of these Chevaliers who slowly back away from the Tyranids while the Vanguards use their superior ranged weaponry to fell the things from afar. Ultimately, their efforts are futile as I then watch as the swarm slowly, but surely overwhelm the positions of the humans who defiantly make a fighting retreat. To the credit of the vastly outnumbered human force, they last for about two _decs_ before finally being wiped out to the last by the Tyranids, a nearby holo-screen displays that the casualties of the _Y'he_ number in the tens of thousands.

The holographic generators soon shut down and the surface of the battle dome's interior reshapes itself to its former, smooth and flat surface. Those slain in the battle quickly get back to their feet and the soldiers begin to regroup.

'Now what did I tell you?' Boasts again the human general in a highly confident tone as he doused the burning smoke stick on a small yet heavy glass container. 'Even without armored, air or artillery support, they managed to crush a whole lot of the bugs and they bought enough time for the colony to be evacuated.'

'Indeed' I quietly nod before thinking of which simulation to activate next and I then have an idea. 'Begin the "Giant Slayer" simulation'

'Beginning "Giant Slayer" simulation' dutifully replies a human technician whose hands touch the appropriate holo-keys of a terminal and the generators hum once more to life.

This particular simulation would test their capabilities in handling a large force of Imperial armour for in my experience; one of the greatest threats posed by the Imperium was its heavy reliance on Mechanized Warfare. The air then begins to alter and change, forming a new environment which would make things difficult for on hoof (or foot) movement. Now let's see how they handle the so called "Hammer of the Emperor" and the training simulation begins anew.

* * *

Surrounding the rim of a great pit that was ringed with teeth of scavenged metal welded to the edges, a massive crowd of orks from various clans eagerly awaited for the upcoming fight between the two warbosses. Aptly named "Da Squig Pit", the ancient and long abandoned reservoir had been drained by the greenskins and re-purposed for their violent blood sports. On one side of the Pit's edges, the orks of the Skull Breakas Clan chanted the name of Warboss Wogroth Ead Krakka while on the opposite end; Bagrakk Man-Chewa was being cheered by his own clan.

Within the Pit, the two Warbosses murderously eyed one another; both having both grown to be more than seven feet in height, heavily scarred skin that had deeply darkened to almost black and muscles that have swollen over the years, both of the chieftains were everything an ork could aspire to be. The combatants had been stripped down until they both wore only a pair of trousers for the sake of decency and the only piece of armour which any of them wore was a metal jaw casing (in the case of Warboss Wogroth, his was an ordinary, removable one). Having already worked themselves up into a killing frenzy, both orks were eager to get the fight started but even in this place, Da Squig Pit, there were rules, formalities which even a Warboss needed to follow.

As the crowd bayed for blood and demanded for the fight to begin, a loud high squeal echoed through the subterranean chamber of Da Squig Pit and all eyes were drawn to the source. A large rusty metal bucket dangling from a length of chain descended towards the Pit and inside of it was a gretchin dressed in funny, human-like clothing consisting of a little, brightly colored coat, a monocle over the right eye and a top hat. Spotlights operated by other gretchin loudly came to life and the bright beams were focused on the announcer whose shiny coat sparkled under the illumination and dazzling those among the crowd who were easily impressed.

'Are you boyz read fer a fight!' shouted the gretchin announcer over a megaphone and the gathered greenskins around the pit roared their approval. 'I cant ear you ladz!' shouted the announcer again and once more, the horde roared in unison, the thunder of their voices was enough to cause the ancient ferrocrete walls to tremble 'Now dats wot I like ta ear!'

'I knowz you ladz iz all excited so let's all get to da main event, aye!?' called the announcer who then gestured to both ends of the arena. 'Ova on dis corna we got da big mean umie-killin machine Warboss Ead Krakka!' The entire crowd, save for the Irongobz broke into cheer as the name was announced for Wogroth was becoming quite famous among the clans of the Underworld for his raids against the humans above. The spotlights were then focused on Warboss Wogroth who pumped both of his fists high and he gave a loud, bloodthirsty roar.

'And on dis corna! One o da ardest, most kunninly brutal gitz in da Underwurld, Warboss Bagrakk Man-Chewa!' shouts the gretchin announcer and once more, the voices of the crowd caused the ancient walls to shake. Also a growing legend among the clans, Warboss Bagrakk was well known for his habit of eating those he kills, among them were a great many of humans, rival bosses and even face-eater squigs.

'Now you know da rules of a Boss Match! Two Warbosses go in an only one comes out! No choppas, no dakka, fists, teef and feet only!'

Once more the crowd gave a savage cheer, as dozens of meaty green fists were raised upwards. Within the arena, the two Warbosses cracked their knuckles and stretched their limbs, eagerly readying themselves for the coming violence.

'Let da Boss Match, begin!' screamed the gretchin announcer and crowd gave one last cheer before the two Ork Bosses were unleashed.

Like two great bulls, the Warbosses rushed each other while roaring the thunderous war cry "Waaaghh!" which was echoed by the spectators. The sound of fists connecting against bare flesh rang out as the Chieftains struck one another with their bare hands and like wild beasts they fought purely on instinct and savagery. Rage blotted out the pain of their attacks as each of the Warbosses was now completely focused on slaughtering his rival and proving his dominance.

Orks continued to cheer the names of the two Warbosses while among the crowd, a few other clan chieftains, watched with great interest for the fights in Da Squig Pit offered an excellent opportunity for those greenskins in power to size up potential rivals. One of the reasons why such fights were especially considered popular was because when one Boss won, he often gained a large slew of new followers into his warband, the first of course being the loser's lot.

As the Warbosses grappled with one another, the gathered spectator eagerly awaited for who would be the victor.

* * *

A smug grin was plastered on the face of the _Gue'ves'O_ as he boasted again of the superiority of the elite human soldiers and despite my annoyance at his prideful overconfidence, I find myself in agreement as I look out the observation window and see the dozens of wrecked, smoking ruins which had once been holographic Imperial Guard tanks. The landscape that was now a rocky, mountainous terrain had many places to set up deadly ambushes to use against the advancing legions of _Gue'va_ Guardsmen. The humans had greatly used the landscape to their utmost advantage and I was highly satisfied at the efficiency and skill employed by the _Gue'vesa_ that also proved to be surprisingly creative as well.

The Vanguards and Chevaliers had divided up into small groups, each using the mountainous terrain to conceal themselves from the mock Imperial forces. Specialized Drones equipped with stealth field generators and targeting devices which was similar to our Marker Lights were used to provide visual confirmation of the Guard positions and when the time came to strike, they did so, fast and hard. Controlled detonations caused rock slides which crushed several Imperials and those who survived were attacked from high ground by the _Gue'vesa_ armed with ranged weapons while the close combat ones rushed in with power or chain weapons active.

In only a little more than a _Dec_ , the entire column of tanks, infantry transports and foot soldiers had been completely wiped out, picked apart by well coordinated attacks and brutally efficient assaults with very few loses on the _Gue'vesa's_ part. As the holographic projectors died again and the battledome's training area took its original pristine shape again, I was so far satisfied with their overall performance.

'Prepare the third simulation' I then command and the technicians obediently begin pressing the holo-keys on their terminals.

'Should you not give them a chance to rest Shas'Vre?' came the concerned voice of El'Kais who had also been observing the training programs.

'There are times when a warrior must fight for extended periods of time' I reply to the Waterkin liaison for there had been many an occasion where I had engaged in a battle that lasted for continuous cycles.

'Of course' concedes El'Kais with a nod of understanding. 'You are the expert on military matters.'

The training area then begins to take the shape of a jungle environment and even from the observation room I can feel a small measure of the sweltering heat that now surrounds the _Gue'vesa_ regiment. This third simulation titled, "Wild Hunt" which would pit the _Gue'vesa_ against entire packs of Feral Orks and cunning Kommandos. As the environment finalizes in taking the form of a lush green wilderness, I eagerly watch and wait for this new regiment were certainly proving to be rather intriguing.


	5. Chapter 3

A massive green fist struck the jaw of Warboss Wogroth, sending out an explosion of pain across the Ork Boss's face. Quickly recovering from the blow, he launched an uppercut which struck his opponent in the gut which knocked the breath out of Boss Bagrakk. Bare fists continued to batter against toughened, dark flesh as the two greenskin leaders fought, each strike more than capable of shattering the bones of a weaker creature but for the chieftains themselves, it was nothing more than a good old fashioned scuffle.

The big crowd that had gathered to watch the fight cheered the two Bosses on, shouts of encouragement and blood-lust filled the crude arena. For several long minutes, the fight went on, both warbosses matched one another in terms of strength and toughness, their inborn savagery only further heightened the fury of the fight but every Ork had its limits and eventually, they began to tire down. Rivulets of green blood seeped from the wounds of the two bosses, bruises began to form on their flesh as bones became fractured beneath and every greenskin sensed the weakening of the combatants.

Taking his chance to finish this fight quickly, Bagrakk let loose a loud roar of 'WAAAAGGGHHHHH!' before lunging forward, his metal-encased maw was opened widely and his teeth aimed at Wogroth 's throat but before the Irongob chieftain could take a bite off of his rival, he felt the thick, strong arms of Wogroth shoot forward and he grabbed the head of Ogroth, one hand tightly pulling down on the Irongob's lower jaw and other on the upper part. Before Ogroth could swing his fist to get his opponent off of him, Wogroth delivered a sharp knee kick to the chest which winded the Irongob boss before another struck him.

Agony began to flare across the jaw of the Bagrakk as Wogroth put all of his might into his hold and the Irongob attempted to batter his rival but was unable to do enough to loosen the Skull Breaka chieftain's vice-like grip. His pain increased a hundredfold as the seconds passed and there was a sickening tearing sound as flesh split and bone broke. Blood gushed from the now opening wounds on the sides of the Warboss's mouth and after a few more seconds, the entire lower jaw of Bagrakk was torn out and he was quickly hit by a powerful headbutt from Wogroth that knocked him to the floor of the Squig Pit.

The Warboss of the Skull Breakas then roared in triumph, he held iron-shod jaw up to the crowd, blood both of his own and Bagrakk's stained his hand for the sharp teeth of the Irongob boss had cut into the flesh of his fingers. Wogroth then went up to his fallen foe and he raised his boot over the head of his fallen foe before delivering a final, fatal stomp that broke the neck of Bagrakk with a loud bone-crunching snap. Every Ork and Grot within the Squig Pit cheered, their voices caused the ancient walls to tremble once more and more than a few brawls broke out as bets were settled.

'NOW DAT WAZ A GOOD SHOW!' shouted the gretchin announcer into his megaphone and the crowd began chanting the name of Wogroth. The victorious Warboss then trudged towards his fallen foe and with a strong stomp, he crushed placed a boot on top of Bagrakk's head.

'Oi winna! Catch!' called the gretchin announcer who then hurled his megaphone towards the Warboss who deftly caught it in mid air with his free hand. The victorious Warboss then held the instrument up, in front of his mouth and he shouted to towards the crowd.

'NOW WHO IS READY FOR A WAAAGGGHH!' roared Boss Wogroth and a stunned silence fell upon the crowd, with the exception of the Skull Breaka's clan who were all aware of what their boss wanted. 'JOIN ME WAAAGH AND TOGETHA WE WILL KRUMP DA UMIEZ ABOVE! WE WILL STOMP DA SHINY SPIREZ AND MAKE DIZ PLANET OUR OWN! JOIN ME AND WE WILL WAAAGGHHH ACROSS DA STARZ!

The orks soon began whispering among one another, other bosses calculated and quietly spoke with their Nobs, judging whether joining in would be well worth the risks. For many of the greenskins, the chance of being able to fight humans was more than enough for them to shout their approval. The halls trembled once more as the greenskins roared, their voices became like that of a single great beast, that would arise and drown the world above in a green tide.

* * *

'End the simulation' I quietly order and the Gue'vesa technicians obediently powered down the training systems. Within the observation room, it is now just the human technicians and myself, Tyen, Kais and the _Gue'vesa_ officers had left earlier to engage in some other pressing matters which suited me just fine for I had seen all that I had needed to.

'You have all done well' I announce over the communications channel. 'That will be enough for this cycle, return to your quarters'.

In an orderly fashion, the _Gue'vesa_ soldiers begin filing out of the battledome, the skirmish against the _be'gel_ holograms had more or less been a success. The Ork Kommandos had relied on stealth, ambushes and traps to dispatch some of the humans who in turn had been able to effectively make use of _Kauyon_ , the way of the Patient Hunter to outwit and outsmart the greenskins. Although I was overall satisfied with their performance, I had to remind myself that when the real fighting takes place, there was nothing about it which no amount of simulations could prepare one for, fortunately though, it seemed that it would not be that much of a problem for these particular humans.

Having taken the time to skim through the dossiers of each _Gue'vesa_ soldier, I was pleased to know that every single one of them had participated in actual combat. Most had primarily been involved in fighting against greenskins while others had already experienced facing off the forces of the Tyranids or even the Imperium. As the machines of the battledome began to power down, I dismissed the technicians, offering them a word of gratitude before leaving the observation deck.

When the automatic doors of the deck slid open, I was greeted by a drone which was clearly of human manufacture. In comparison to the disc shaped automatons designed by the Earth Caste, this one was spherical in shape with an iron grey chassis and a single glowing blue eye lens. It was not armed with any sort of weaponry and I guessed that it was a utility machine.

'Unit 521-B7 reporting for duty madam Shas'vre T'au Sheia' announced the machine in perfect _Tau'sia_ its voice was gender-less and monotone, as expected of course from a machine. 'I have been assigned to guide you through the battledome, would you like for me to conduct you to your assigned quarters?'

'Please do so' I nodded and the machine made a beeping sound before turning around with a soft hum from its anti-gravitic engines and it led the way through the halls of the battledome. With my helmet still on and the optical equipment active, it highlighted the drone as a potential target rather than being friendly, some of its systems which was the same used for Pathfinders were already scanning the pristine metallic walls of the facility for any possible traps. From across the open ways, I then see new targets being highlighted, each bearing the distinct physical profiles of humans.

'Officer on deck!' one of the _Gue'vesa_ shouts and the rest of the human soldiers quickly step aside, their backs facing the walls and giving sharp salutes. Noticing how each of them had their own helmets off, I placed my hands around my own and I lifted the piece of headgear which I then placed in the crook of my left arm.

'As you were' I reply with a nod before heading onward. Walking by the rows of human soldiers, I glance towards some of them and look a few in the eye in an attempt to get a sense of who they were. Like most humans I have encountered, these ones are certainly taller than the average Tau of the Fire Caste, a mix of male or female specimens, several of which possess varying skin tones.

The _Gue'vesa_ studied me as well, like predatory pack beasts gauging the strengths and weaknesses of their alpha. Oddly, I notice that each of these humans are from the ranged weapon warriors, the Vanguards. Of the close combat ones, I see none of them but I remain silent on the matter and I merely offer a quiet nod of approval as I pass and they head their own way.

Continuing to follow the floating drone through the corridors, I soon come by an intersection with a path going left, another ahead and a heavy pair of doors to the right. Unlike the rest of the pristine halls of polished steel, the heavy doors look to be made of bright bronze and the surface of it is heavily engraved with an image depicting a human female.

'Where does this lead? I asked the drone and the machine turns around to face me.

'This is the " _La Chapelle des Brouillard"_ Shas'vre.' Answered the machine, there was a noticeable shift in its tone that oddly seemed almost reverential.

' _La Chapelle_ …' I repeat, slowly pronouncing each of the unfamiliar syllables.

'An ancient language once spoken on Old Terra' clarified the Drone, bobbing a little as if nodding in confirmation. 'It means, The Chapel of Mists, the Chevalier Orders use it as a place of worship in honor of the goddess Corrigyna'.

'A human religion center?' I asked for I was unaware that the battledome would maintain such areas for it seemed like a terribly inefficient use of space for a military training facility.

'Conflict is a central tenet in the faith of the Chevalier Orders and to the ruling class of their home world, Gaullia' answered the machine.

Recalling the data which I had been given, regarding this alliance of human worlds, I remember that aside from the planet of Korusa, the political entity know as the Gaullian Royarchy was supposedly among its most powerful and influential of its member worlds. I also remembered reading that they were among the staunchest supporters in the idea that the Tau'va should remain as allies rather than being annexed as part of the Empire.

'Is anyone inside?' I then asked the Drone.

'One moment' it replies before bobbing again. 'All registered members of the Orders assigned to this facility are currently within the Chapel.'

'May I enter?' I ask for as a member of the Fire Caste, I like many others who are expected to serve alongside alien auxiliaries, are taught to respect the cultures and beliefs of those who accept the Greater Good. There is also the fact that a vast majority of my experience in dealing with human religious beliefs tended to be around that of the Imperium's excessively violent dogma and more recently, the insanity of the mad followers of Chaos. I wished to know if these Chevaliers would be troublesome fanatics or not for such zealotry had little place among the disciplined forces that served the _Tau'va_.

'You may Shas'vre but please exercise silence' answered the Drone. 'The Chevaliers are currently conducting a religious ceremony and would take grave offense at any interruption.'

* * *

'Goddess, hear us' collectively intoned the congregation of Chevaliers, each one of the warriors still wore their full suits of heavy carapace armor, their helmets were placed next to them as gauntleted hands tightly held onto the pommels of power or chain weapons. 'When the clarion call is sounded, we will ride out and fight in the name of lord and lady.'

The Chapel of Mists was appropriately named so for the place was filled with a light fog of cool, harmless vapors. Stained glass windows depicting the saints, looked down at the congregation, their eyes hidden beneath the visors of their helmets but the only gaze which truly mattered was that of their goddess. At the end of the Chapel, opposite of the entrance, there was raised dais where a great statue of pristine white stone looked down upon them.

'Whilst we draw breath, the lands bequeathed unto us shall remain untainted by evil' continued the Chevaliers. 'Honor is all, Chivalry is all'

The Goddess Corrignya gazed upon her faithful with a serene expression that was both innocent and maternal was forever etched upon her beautiful face as she was dressed in a long flowing garment of a simple yet elegantly archaic design. A wreath of stone flowers had been carved upon her brow as water flowed from eyes that had thin trickles of fresh water imported from their own home world running down her smooth cheeks and gathering into the large chalice which she carried in her hands. Silently, she listened to the congregations as they renewed their vows of fealty and slowly the knights rose up to sheathe their weapons and pick up their helmets.

Hovering around the interior of the chapel were spherical utility drones, some carried small gilded braziers of burning incense that added to the mist and others bore trays filled with silver drinking chalices. In an orderly manner, the Chevalier Knights lined up along the aisle which ran along the length center of the chapel, each of the warriors took one chalice for himself they reverently held it in one hand before lining up to approach the statue. One by one, they filled the containers with the blessed water which flowed from the Goddess's eyes and they gently sipped it before finishing their prayers.

Among the first of the Chevaliers to drink was Knight-Gallant Abelard d'Arcand who respectfully gave one last bow to the Goddess before taking his leave. Depositing his chalice upon one of the trays carried by the Drones, he paid little heed to the machine before heading towards the exit. Exhaustion burned within the Chevalier's limbs for the training simulations which the alien had sought to test them with had proven rather grueling.

He had lost count of how many holographic Tyranids, Imperials and Greenskins he had put down with his blessed power sword and it had only been during the first simulation that he had been "killed". Briefly closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of the fragrant incenses that wafted from the censers, he filled his lungs with its vapors which helped clear his head. When his eyes opened, he saw the heavy bronze doors leading out of the chapel and curiously, he also saw a small figure clad in the distinct, ocher armor of their alien allies.

The little blue skinned creature silently watched the ongoing procession of his fellow Chevaliers and he immediately recognized that the alien as of being from the warrior strain, the "supervisor" that had bee sent from the capital world of T'au. Immediately adopting a more formal poise as if he were on a parade ground, he went up to the alien female who then turned her eyes towards him. As he drew closer, Abelard was better able to get a better view of the creature.

Like many of her species, the alien possessed blueish-grey skin with a flat face, red eyes and a Y shaped slit which supposedly served the same purpose as a nose. Unlike the other aliens of her species which Abelard had seen, this one was not almost completely bald for short black hair grew across her scalp and there was a single long braid protruding from the back of her head. Glittering red eyes curiously looked up to him, the alien slightly tilted her head as she had what seemed to be a curious look.

Personally, Abelard found the alien's preference for fighting from afar to be distasteful, to say the least. Although he was used to fighting alongside those who would mainly fight with guns, even the Korusans had the decency to train some of their soldiers in the way of the sword. Still, he supposed that between the little blue creatures or the Imperium, the former were a lesser evil and certainly far more amenable to diplomacy and were more willing to leave the Royarchy to their faith and autonomy, in exchange of course for allowing them to preach this Greater Good of theirs, which he doubted would find much purchase in where it would count within Gaullian society.

'Have you come to pay respects to the Goddess?' asked Abelard towards the alien in a formal yet clipped tone. A curious look came over the Tau's face, the Chevalier Gallant was aware of course that the creatures held no beliefs in gods or any higher power save only for their collectivist philosophy.

'I would like to know more about this deity of yours, human' replied the Tau female as she maintained eye contact with him.

'What is there to tell' shrugged the Chevalier who then began to speak more solemnly as he glanced towards the statue of the at the opposite end of the chapel 'The Goddess is the Goddess, she who guides us on the path of honor and chivalry, without her teachings, we would be no better than barbarians'. Hearing the heavy steps of the others who attended the procession, Abelard gave a slight nod towards his brothers in arms before moving towards the bronze doorway. 'If you wish to know more, I would be glad to enlighten you' suggested Abelard and the alien seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding and soon he was accompanying the creature out of the chapel.

* * *

Deep within the pits of the Underworld, inside a fortified Ork Settlement, Warboss Wogroth who was now dressed in just a pair of squig-leather trousers, sat on a rusted metal cot. He slightly winced as a Painboy stitched the left side of his chest. His guts felt warm after downing the three bottles of fungus beer he had just drunk, both to celebrate his recent victory and to dull the pain of his surgery. Some of his ribs had been shattered into pieces during the fight and had been repaired with bits of metal.

It had crossed his mind to instead have cybernetics installed into his body but the price in Teef would be astronomical and he would need every piece for the Waaagh ahead. He also wanted to keep it simple for there was the fact that the Warboss did not trust most Painboyz enough to not go cutting into places where they shouldn't, such as replacing some bits of him with those of a Squig or a runty snotling. Just to be sure, he had two of his Nobz keep watch over the procedure; both were equipped with Shootas and had been given strict orders to blast the Dok in case he did anything out of the ordinary.

Grunting in pain as the last stitching was finished, the Warboss took one last swig of fungus beer and he dismissed the painboy who glumly left without having the chance of being able to perform, "experiments".

'So wot now boss, we really gonna krump em umiez above?' asked a Nob named Gulzog, there was an eagerness in his voice which was quite noticeable. The mere mention of a possible Waaagh was enough to get many of his boyz pumping and no doubt that the Orks from the other clans would like to join in on the fun.

'Course we are, I sez we going on a Waaagh and by Gork and Mork we are gettin one good Waaagh!' snarled the Warboss.

'Wot about em ships boss? Questioned the Nob again. 'We really gunna see da stars?'

'Why not eh?' grinned Wogroth. 'Dis ere planets got da shiny bitz fer it, da umiez got da tek and if we needz it, we can make em weak lil runts work on it'.

The Nob gave a satisfied grunt while flashing the Warboss a toothy smile before returning to his guard duty. For the Orks who had lived in the Underworld, they were all the descendants of a previous Waaagh that had come to this planet. Countless generations lived and died, never seeing the sun and sky, never feeling the wind or watching the stars above.

To many of them, the stars were nothing more than legends and tales, orally passed down from the previous generations. But all that would change thought Warboss Wogroth for he had a dream; a vision which he fervently believed had come from Gork and Mork themselves. In his sleep, he had dreamed of a great green tide, one that would engulf this world, he dreamed of great metal ships, the numbers of which would be so much that it would blot out the stars themselves.

Wogroth dreamed of a great Waaagh that would make him a legend among not just the Orks of this world but to all of Ork-kind across the stars. Worlds would be die upon his whims, armies would shatter and galaxy itself would tremble at the merest mention of his name. A surge of blood-lust passed through his very being, the Ork wanted something to fight and he noticed one of the Painboy's gretchin orderlies pass by within arm's reach.

Quickly snatching the unsuspecting grot, he took one big bite out of its head and was sprayed with its green blood. The other gretchins squealed in terror while the Nobz offered sycophantic chuckles of amusement. Crunching down on bone, meat and gristle, the Warboss realized that he was absolutely famished.

'Get me a big ol Squig Pie and sum more Fungus Beer!' bellowed the Warboss as he hopped off of the cot. 'And while yer all at it, get me all da Squigeons ya can find, I want ta send a message ta every klan boss, either dey are in dis Waaagh or out!'

'Got it boss!' replied the other Nob, Bogrun who nodded before going off and Gulzog followed after him, thus leaving the Warboss alone.

Cracking his knuckles, Wogroth then began to stretch his neck and he winced again for there was a sharp pain on the right side. Deciding to just walk it off, the Warboss took another bite out of the dead Grot which he still held. If they were going to go on a Waaagh then they would have to do it right and first thing he needed was for the boyz to know that even when he was hurt, he was still more than enough for any git who thought that they could challenge him.

* * *

The quarters which had been assigned to me was rather spacious and perhaps a bit too ostentatious for my sensibilities. It was furnished with a large round bedding, a computer terminal, a small circular table with seats for two, a doorway leading to a smaller chamber to wash up and even some fragrant potted plant decorations placed upon a shelf connected to the wall behind the bed. I was reminded of some of the estates I once guarded as a _Shas'saal_ , especially those which belonged to high ranking members of the _Shas'ar'tol_ who had retired to take part in _Taal'Saal'Y_.

I was not alone in the quarters for the _Gue'vesa_ officer, this Knight-Gallant Abelard (whose position I believed was similar to that of _Shas'vre_ ), patiently sat upon one of the chairs next to the table and opposite from me. For a human, he was rather tall and strongly built with the fair skin tone, blue eyes, hair of dark brown with a short well-trimmed beard and he easily moved within his suit of heavy armor as if it were an extension of himself, a second skin as some might say. He still carried his Power Sword which was sheathed by hip and resting near the doorway was a rectangular piece of equipment which he called a Storm Shield.

As one warrior to another, I did not ask for the human to disarm nor remove his equipment and I myself still remained in my own full wargear. My hands remained steepled together as I listened to the human speak of his religion, this female deity which his fellow warriors and supposedly, all of the ruling Caste of his world worshiped. Although it was the duty of the Water Caste to speak with and learn of the cultures of other species, I had my own reasons in wanting to know of their faith.

'So what do you wish to know, _Shas'vre_?' asked the human, his pronunciation of my rank was off but I choose not to bother with trying to correct him.

'I am merely curious in knowing what this religion of yours is' I reply. 'I have served alongside many auxiliary forces and it is important to know the cultural differences, to avoid any misunderstandings'.

'Is that right?' questions the _Gue'vesa_ and by the tone of his voice I could hear that he was unconvinced. 'Do you wonder if we are or were perhaps once followers of the Imperium's so called, God Emperor? Perhaps some dissident faction of them with their own ideas? That our creed is incompatible with your Greater Good?'

'No, such was not my intention' I replied.

'Then I will have to disappoint you, for you will not find much of an answer then' shrugged the human. 'The Royarchy today has simply been, as it always has since the dark days when the Old Empire of Terra had ceased to be.'

'Old Empire? Do you mean the Imperium?' I questioned with some confusion.

'No, I do not think the Imperium has much to do with the Old Empire' guessed the _Gue'vesa_ with another shrug. 'At least I do not think so but I am not sure for so much has been lost over the millennia.'

'Maybe we should start from the beginning' I added. 'Of what this… goddess your people worship.'

'Now that is a tale with a beginning I know quiet well of' nodded the human and he began to speak.

Patiently, I continued to listen to these beliefs held by the humans of the Gaullian Royarchy and I had to admit that the _Gue'vesa_ had a certain charisma to him, a quality that would be important for any battlefield leader. Although we Tau have outgrown the belief in some higher cosmic powers and did not think that something like an afterlife existed, my recent experiences had made me begin to question a great many of things…

* * *

 _The ash wastes of Nahlua stretched as far as the eye could see, deep veins of burning, crimson liquid pulsed and bubbled from beneath the black, rocky surface. Nothing of the sun or sky could be seen except for the black clouds that smothered it, lightning of shifting colors danced across the darkness and where it passed, it seemed as if there were faces… hideous devilish visages which looked down upon us. Soon the sight of the wastes became partially obscured by a shimmering dome of defensive energy, a shield established by our forces to protect the combined camp of both ours and the El'dar._

 _All around both Sh'en and I, we saw only madness and suffering as both fellow Fire Warriors and Auxiliaries were being rushed to a make-shift triage facility, my helmet did nothing to blot out the horrors that unfolded before us. We saw Earth Caste surgeons treating a Fire Warrior whose armor outwardly seemed undamaged but within, his flesh had fused with the interior plates, as if the skin had melted like wax and then solidified in short time. A Gue'vesa auxiliary begged to be mercy killed as her body violently convulsed, her limbs which had been as they naturally should be among humans had only a short while ago, transformed into long tentacles which had eviscerated two of her kin and the surgeons had been forced to amputate the aberrant appendages._

 _Everywhere I looked, brave soldiers of the Tau'va were afflicted by grievous injuries, some of which were strange… unnatural wounds which defied any explanation from the Earth Caste medical officer. My eyes soon became fixed on a familiar Crisis Battlesuit that was brought in by another Crisis Suit, its lower half was missing and a team of drones began trying to extricate the pilot. When the hatch leading into the control cocoon opens, I gasped in shock to see so much cyan blood painting the interior and inside the suit, Shas'O'Kossyr lay within, his legs a ruin of flesh, meat and bone._

 _The sight of my commander, my mentor, a warrior who seemed almost invincible since my days as a Shas'saal and was now upon the brink of death, sent knots of dread deep into my heart. Ui'Sh'en as well has a look of disbelief, as if what we saw was an illusion._

' _What happened?' I ask the pilot of the other Crisis Suit who had rescued our commander._

' _We had been overrun' replied the Crisis Pilot, the head section of his suit dips as if nodding, the damage upon the chassis looked extensive for I can see the rents and which exposed sparking circuitry and wiring within. 'The Space Marines were simply too many, they were led by... by a devil, greater than the others.'_

' _A devil?' asked Sh'en who eyes are still focused on O'Kossyr who is now being tended to by medical drones._

' _Yes' continued the Crisis Pilot, his voice broken as he struggled to find the right words. 'It flew on great wings, it carried an axe, larger than those of the humans, they… they killed Aun'Dai… it took his head…'_

 _What little strength I had left immediately abandoned me at what I had just heard and I fell to my knees._

' _We are lost!' wailed Ui'Shen with despair. 'How can we win!? Our commander has fallen and an Aun is dead!'_

 _Many eyes were turned towards us, towards my squadmate's outburst and I knew that many shared his feeling. Word quickly began to spread across the communications networks, talk of dissent and a desire to leave, to evacuate the planet while there was still time. When it seemed that many were just about ready to do so, a deep thunderous roar boomed from the El'dar camp._

 _Quickly turning to see what new, monstrous horror this could be, I saw… it. Standing far taller than even a Broadside Suit, I saw the Burning One. Flanked by the warriors and walker machines of the El'dar, it strode like some primordial_ _deity_ _, a force of nature, a living incarnation of elemental fury, the embodiment of Fire itself._

 _Its body looked like that of a giant sized male El'dar warrior whose armor glowed as if super-heated. Flames wreathed its body as a deep crimson mess spilled forth from its clawed left hand and its right, it held a massive jeweled axe engraved with alien sigils. The eyes of the Burning One were bright flames, its fang filled maw burned as well and a wild mane of silvery white flowed from atop its helmeted head._

 _When the Burning One and its host passed us by, a strange sensation came over me. Rage, hate, a desire to kill, a desire to avenge Aun'Dai had suddenly blossomed and in my mind, I wanted nothing more than to grab my Pulse Rifle and blast every Gue'mont'sha I see. Rising back up to my hooves, I could not help but follow the giant, even if it meant traveling into the nightmarish heart of the enemy's territory._

* * *

I had never in the past, understood what it was that drove species like the humans into such extremes of religious fervor, often I had merely dismissed it as nothing more than blind barbarism like that of the Orks. But after Nahlua and the battles which preceded it, I have begun to... understand perhaps a little bit the why of it. I was beginning to suspect that there was far more to the universe than we Tau realize, things which went beyond the knowledge of our greatest scientists.

And so I listened to the rest _Gue'vesa's_ words. I hoped that perhaps by learning some of his faith, I could understand this madness which gripped the humans of the _Gue'va_ and the _Gue'mont'sha_. It was perhaps through this understanding that I could finally assuage some suspicions and dark thoughts which had begun to plague my mind, thoughts which I could never give voice to for to do so would be to commit one of the greatest crimes for any who follow the Greater Good.

For the sake of both my own curiosity and perhaps even sanity itself, I listened...


	6. N8921-L03

**Transcript I of Inquistorial Report:** **N8921** **-** **L** **03**

 _Ave Imperator, Ave Dominus, Ave Humanitas._

 _To my Lord Inquisitor_

 _I, your loyal servant, Rikar Sereven of the Ordo Xenos have compiled in this report, a brief summary of the history of the Palladian Stars. Let it be known that this information is for the eyes of you, my lord along with only a select few Lord Inquisitors within the Conclave of Nurena._

 _The first known historical mention of the Palladian Stars was from a survey report made by one Explorator Hedrig Talvan of the Adeptus Mechanicus, dated in the year of **M36.**_ ** _1_** _ **99**. According to the report of Explorator Talvan, many of the worlds within the newly discovered Palladian Sector had proven quite suitable for Imperial colonization. Rich in minerals, gasses and other natural resources, the only known major threats to human habitation at the time were from a few warbands of greenskin pirates and a handful of worlds which possessed the foul taint of the alien. Fortunately, none of the latter had yet to achieve the technological capacity for space-flight, thus making it a simple task for the mighty armies of the Imperium to either purge or contain the unclean xenos._

 _What was also quite notable in the report was that the Explorator had also made mention of lost human colonies in the eastern reaches of the Palladian Stars. These wayward civilizations, unlike the perfidious xenos which also inhabited this region of space, were already more than capable of constructing fleets of their own voidships and had alread established an organized confederation of independent, space-faring states. When news of such worlds ripe for habitation had reached the ears of the Administratum, efforts were made to begin both the colonization and conversion of these worlds. Unfortunately, the plan became a stillborn one for shortly after the discovery of the Palladian Stars, the infamous High Lord, Goge Vandire rose to power within the Ecclesiarchy._

 _I am sure that my Lord Inquisitor is already well aware of the dark times known as the Age of Apostasy and Vandire's so called "Reign of Blood". As such, the next parts of this report will be in direct relations to the matters regarding the Palladian Stars._

 _What had happened to Explorator Talvan afterwards is unknown for there are no further mentions of him, but one should take into account that at the time of_ _ **M36**_ _, instances of warp storms increased along with increased conflicts from the Traitor Legions and the Greenskins. It is highly possible, but not entirely certain that the Explorator had run afoul of such tragic mishap. Due to the anarchy caused by Vandire, the Imperium would forget that the Palladian Stars even existed until the year of_ _ **M41.746**_ _, a year after the end of the Damocles Gulf Crusade…_


	7. Chapter 4

Loudly belching in satisfaction, Warboss Wogroth immediately began to feel a sudden rush of vitality as the contents of his last bottle of Fungus Beer worked its way into his body. This particular bottle contained a very special brew for it had mixed into it a very small portion of Mad Cap, a rare and somewhat poisonous kind of mushroom which was normally harvested and consumed by some of the gretchin in the deepest parts of the Underworld. The Warboss began to fidget and twitch, the wounds of his surgery became greatly dulled as he stomped out into the fetid encampment of his clan.

Located within a great cavernous space of stone, beneath even the great cities of the humans, the shanty town of the Skull Breakas clan was a hive of busy activity for every Ork, Gretchin and Snotling was preparing for the great Waaagh!. The camp was a typical kind of Ork bastion, it had a high walled Fort at the center, several crude huts built from scavenged metals, an outer wall adorned with spikey bits and here and there were sentry towers which bore plaques with the words Waaagh! painted over it. Several of the fellow greenskins looked to the Warboss with a mixture of fear or eagerness to which the Ork leader gave a grunt and a nod before heading towards one of the taller towers and his clan went back to whatever previous activity they had been engaged with.

The tallest building within the camp was a raised platform of scrap metal known as "Da Squigeonary"; a roost used to train and breed the winged breed of Squigs called Squigeons, hence the name. Maintained by a rather eccentric bunch of gretchin squig herders, squigeonaries were a common sight among many Ork Clans in the Underworld for the squigeons were used to deliver handwritten letters to other klans. Although it was within the ability for the Mekboyz to make radios and such, the stinking umiez above had the tech to be able to monitor transmissions sent by the Orks, thus it was necessary for the klans to use the winged squigs if they wanted to avoid accidentally tipping off their enemies on whatever it was the boyz were planning.

When he arrived at the base of the roost, he shouted 'OI WHATS DA WORD!?'

Looking over the rim of the platform, a gretchin dressed in squig leathers waved a hand towards the Warboss and called back to him in a high pitched voice 'loadz a klanz boss!'

'WHOSE COMMIN!?' hollered the Warboss.

'Da Irongobz iz mighty impressed with ya!' replied the squig herder with barely concealed excitement. 'Same with da Red Footz, Gunnuttaz, Scrap Smashaz, Sparky Eyez and Bone Spittaz! Them ladz iz in!'

A toothy grin came over the face of the Warboss who was glad to hear that more klans were klans pledging their support. He had no doubt that there would eventually come some other Bosses who would want to challenge him for dominance and Wogroth knew that he would have to be ready for them. Turning back towards the Fort, the Warboss decided to take some time for a much needed rest and to recover for there would plenty of time to plan this Waaagh! right and proper.

* * *

'This is Shas'vre T'au Sheia, delivering my report' I announce towards my helmet, the two optical lenses glowed as it records me from atop a desktop. A wire connects the helmet to the holo-terminal within my quarters, the recording which I make would soon be ready to be sent towards the _Shas'ar'tol_.

'The initial trials of the experimental human _Kau'ui_ are favorable so far' I then say. 'The _Gue'vesa_ soldiers who have taken part in the training simulations are all skilled warriors, their ability to work together as a team is efficient and their prowess in battle is satisfactory. By the next seven _dec_ , I will begin the next phase of the testing. I have already been informed of the greenskin presence in the lower reaches of Korusa and from there, live fire training will commence.'

'This is Shas'vre T'au Sheia, signing out' I then say before walking towards my helmet and I deactivate it. Looking towards the holo-Terminal, I see the sign which in _Tau'sia_ says "buffering" and then after a brief _Dec'taa_ , "complete". Nodding with satisfaction, I give a quiet sigh as I look around my quarters once more before taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

The _Gue'vesa_ officer, Abelard d'Arcand had already left earlier after our private conversation and what I had learned from him had done little to ease the troubled thoughts which plagued my mind. Questions remained unanswered to exactly what it was we had faced on Nahlua, of the things we had fought on that forsaken world and the why of that entire, cursed campaign. By the One Path… even just using that word, cursed, a word more suited for the superstitious _gue'la_ and yet, I could simply not think of any better adjective for that planet.

Just the thought of what had happened was enough to make me remember again the events of those recent campaigns but then a chiming sound came from the door and I was able to shake away the encroaching memories, at least for now.

'Who is it!?' I called towards whoever was behind the door.

'It is just me Shas'vre!' replies the voice of ui'Tyen from the other side.

Getting up from my seated position, I then head towards the access panel on the side of the door and I press a single button to open it. The automatic door immediately slides open to reveal the waiting form of the Earthkin technician with the drone, Unit B7 accompanying him. Dressed in fresh robes of ochre and white, the _Autaku_ offered a polite nod which I returned before ushering him inside.

'I found something you need to see Shas'Vre' says the Earthkin technician who then glanced towards the drone and he nodded towards it.

The floating construct gently hovers towards the terminal where my helmet still rests and it extends a small metallic protrusion which connects to a socket on the terminal. The holo-screen of the terminal lights up with activity as data streams into the machine and it shifts to show a recording, the time stamp of it marked that it was taken very recently. Moving closer to the screen so I can get a better look, I keep my eyes on the recording where I see only darkness at first but then the image suddenly takes on a green hue which illuminates the blackness to reveal a long dark corridor flooded with many hulking and all too familiar figures, orks.

The video feed then shifts to another darkened sector where again, I see more herds of _be'gel_ , these ones trudging knee-deep through a murky tunnel filled with liquid sludge. It then changes to a third area where I see a horde of the smaller greenskin breed, gretchins, these ones are garbed in dark hoods and accompanied by swarms of the orkoid fauna known as Squigs, some of which are even ridden upon much like how the Kroot do so with the smaller Knarlocs. It again changes and I see even more hordes of _be'gel_ which make my blood run cold as knots begin to form in my stomach.

'The surveillance drones of the _gue'vesa_ had just picked these up' explains Tyen rather worriedly. 'The _be'gel_ tribes have all been riled up, they are now converging en masse to someplace at the bottom of the Hive City, many of them already rampaging about on the upper levels.'

I silently nod and continue to watch the recordings as it then changes to what seems to be a walled outpost, the muzzle flashes of solid projectile guns wielded by humans flare across the fortifications as a large band of greenskins lay siege to the place. Orks fire back at the defenders of the outpost with typically poor accuracy and many of the _be'gel_ die but as was typical with the greenskins, there were so many more to take the place of the fallen.

'Has the human military begun mobilizing troops?' I ask Tyen.

'I assume so' replies the Earthkin technician with uncertainty. 'The communications channels of the _gue'vesa_ military abuzz with this latest development, it seems that they are still assessing the threat.'

'What of that outpost being attacked?' I remind him. 'There are humans down there in need of aid.'

'The _gue'vesa_ are already fortifying their bases in the lower levels but they are not going to do anything about the ones being attacked now' says Tyen which cause no small amount of shock on my part.

'What? Why not?' I reply with much surprise.

'The _gue'vesa_ communications have said something about those parts of the city being a breeding place for undesirables' answers Tyen with uncertainty. 'That they will let the greenskins distract themselves with the inhabitants of the lower levels and use the time to shore up their own defenses.'

'But that will only encourage them further!' I nearly shout towards Tyen. 'Any sizable greenskin gathering should be swiftly dealt with by _Ken'rai_!'

'A-a decapitation strike?' questions Tyen who visibly pales at my outburst and I realize that I am letting my emotions get the better of me. I then take a moment to collect myself before continuing.

'Yes, a decapitation strike' I confirm with a nod as I now speak with a softer but firm tone. 'Cut off the head and the body dies, in the case of the _be'gel_ , kill the leader which they rally around and the rest of the horde falls into anarchy.'

'I have heard of such things among the greenskins' Tyen replies. 'But what will you do now ui'Sheia?'

'Get me the coordinates to the besieged outpost' I reply. 'It seems that the Trial by Fire will begin ahead of schedule.'

* * *

Klaxons blared across the alien inspired battledome and with well practiced discipline; the many humans soldiers prepared their wargear. Word had already reached them of the greenskins gathering in the Undercity and many assumed that they would be sent to reinforce one of the many military outposts which monitored the barbaric aliens. For those like the Chevaliers though, they were more interested in the opportunity to prove their valor in the fires of combat and within the barracks assigned to The Orders, they armed themselves in deeply religious fashion.

Prayers were whispered by the Chevalier as they donned their shining suits of carapace armor which had been crafted to resemble those of the ancient terran knights which their culture emulated. Each set carapace armor was finely wrought with the best of craftsmanship and further reinforced with other defensive augmentations such as cells of Impact Gel placed beneath the plates to further protect against solid projectile munitions or coatings of Reflec which served a similar purpose but for energy based attacks such as laser bolts and many were also constructed with deflection in mind, to better withstand explosions or even close combat attacks. Afterwards they began putting on surcoats or tabards which bore the colors, heraldries and insignias of the Grand Royarch himself for on this world they did not represent their individual duchies, but that of their nation as a whole.

Once their armor was complete, they took up their weapons which ranged from adamantium toothed chainblades to armaments which crackled with lightning or most potently, gleaming power weapons which all took the forms of swords, axes, spears, lances, hammers, maces, flails, fists or claws. Among their arsenal were explosive tipped Hunting Lances which were especially effective when used in their legendary charges and like their primary close combat weapons, there was a great deal of variety to use from among the pole weapons. Aside from the common explosive charge, some held canisters filled with incendiary chemicals which would set a target ablaze while others carried either Krak or Melta charges for the purposes of destroying enemy armored units.

Next came their most potent of defenses, the Storm Shield. Forged as well from adamantium along with ceramite, these heavy bulwarks were constructed with built-in power fields which provided both an excellent degree of defense and it could be used as an effective secondary weapon for bashing a target. The final piece of equipment which they used was their one concession towards ranged weaponry, a hand held grenade launcher which would only be loaded with defensive grenades such as smoke, blind or stun ones, in accords to their honor as knights.

As the Chevalier nearly finished equipping themselves, they were soon joined by a flock of floating artificially intelligent drones which carried braziers full of burning incense. The vapors that wafted from the gilded containers put their minds at ease as they carried their helmets in the crooks of their arms and they headed towards the battledome's motorpool where their transports awaited. They did not have to journey far to reach the place where the vehicles were maintained and they soon met up with their cohorts among the Vanguards.

Quiet words or friendly gestures were exchanged between the two elite groups of warriors who had been training alongside one another for many weeks now and both were quite familiar with the tactics, strengths and weaknesses of one another. Nothing further was needed to be said as both groups proceeded into the motorpool where several dozens of maintenance drones made last minute adjustments to a parked fleet of skimmer vehicles. For the elite of the Korusan military, they would board sleek gunships which could be armed for a variety of different purposes such as mowing down hordes of infantry or even hunting enemy tanks but for the Chevalier themselves, they would mount powerful jetbikes which were equipped with twin-linked grenade launchers that fired non-lethal ordnance.

Each of the one-man skimmer craft was exquisitely decorated to the personal tastes of its respective Chevalier owner. Many bore religious iconography dedicated to the Goddess such as the chalice and upon the prows of these craft were figureheads depicting either Pegasi, birds of prey, or angels with wings shining brightly from golden or silvery chrome paint. The entire force of human troops then gathered near the entrance of the motorpool, they formed into perfect ranks and awaited their alien "supervisor" who soon arrived along with a shoal of alien drones and another tau who carries what look to be a modified drone controller.

Straightening up, the regiment awaited what the alien had to say.

* * *

Within the hangar where the _gue'vesa_ kept their transports, my first sight of the human soldiers was the perfect rows of troops awaiting me. I carry my helmet in the crook of my right arm and behind my left shoulder, my Pulse Rifle hangs by its strap. Softly clearing my throat, I begin to loudly speak as I had earlier done while trying to emulate a Shas'O.

'I am sure by now that you have all heard of the greenskins assailing the lower levels of the city' I transmit towards them. 'For this reason, we will deploy in a settlement designated as "Ash Springs" and we will extract the civilian populace.'

One of the Vanguard warriors, an ebon skinned female raises her hand and asks 'Permission to speak ma'am?'

'You may' I reply with a nod.

'Ash Springs is a mutie town ma'am' says the female human soldier in a rather clipped fashion. 'There is a Replicant Guard outpost two levels above it. It would be better fortified to withstand a greenskin assault.' Confused for a moment, I look to Tyen who offers a shrug and then to the drone, B7 who bobs up and down for a moment before clarifying for me.

'Under Order No. 43 of Alliance Command, all military personal are to ignore any distress calls from the aberrant populace' explains B7.

'Aberrant populace?' I queried.

'Muties or mutants, Shas'vre' answers the Drone. 'All humans born with more than one percent of genetic deviation have their status as full citizens of Korusa revoked and are required to live in the lower, single to double digit levels of the planet, failure to comply is punishable by immediate termination.'

'By the One Path' blurts Tyen in surprise and I could not help but agree with him.

From my own experience in dealing with humans, their species seemed to be as "malleable" as the Kroot in terms of physiology and like our cannibalistic, avian allies; they were capable of great a deal of alterations in their physical form. I have heard that the _Gue'va_ officially decrees that any among their populace who are born with such genetic deviation is condemned and regarded as an unclean thing, fit only for the harshest of slave labor or immediate execution. It was curious though for in my many previous experiences with the Imperium's armed forces, I have encountered such mutant strains of humans such as the ones designated as Ogryns which tended to focus on close quarters combat, Ratlings that often proved to be deadly snipers and there were even some member of the Earth Caste who suggested that the _Gue'ron'sha_ , the Space Marines should also be placed under this classification.

'Be that as it may' I then continue, my mind is already made up. 'As the Fire Caste's chosen representative, I hereby execute my authority to take command of this Regiment.' A collective expression of surprise came from the humans, many of whom did not seem all too happy with my words and they looked to one another with some confusion.

'The Shas'vre speaks correctly' interjects B7 towards the _gue'vesa_. 'As per the Treaty of Palladia, the authority of the _Shas'ar'tol_ supersedes that of Alliance High Command below those the rank of Marshal Commander and as just mentioned, honored Shas'vre T'au Sheia is currently the highest ranking member of the Tau Fire Caste.'

'So when do we disembark?' impatiently speaks the familiar voice of the Knight-Gallant Abelard D'Arcand, there is an eagerness in his voice and eyes, one that was shared by the other Chevalier _Gue'vesa_.

'We leave now' I order as I place my helmet on, the targeting optics of it immediately lights up as its systems reboot. 'We have greenskins to hunt!'

A cheer rises up from the human close combat warriors as they immediately begin mounting vehicles which remind me of the Jetbikes used by the _El'dar_ while the ranged fighting ones silently board their own transports. The engines of the anti-gravity propelled vehicles hum with power.

'Need a ride Shas'vre?' calls the voice of vre _'_ Jura over my communications unit and on the HUD of my helmet, a navigational pointer appears and directing my attention to the right. Looking towards where it is pointing to, I see a landed Orca awaiting us with a loading ramp already extended from the rear hatch.

'Let's go' I quietly say to Tyen who carries a modified Drone Controller, similar to those used by Firesight Marksmen but one that is more intended to be used for gathering data on the artificially intelligent constructs. The Earthkin engineer obeys and we head towards the transport as several armed drones follow us into the passenger compartment of the dropship. Soon we take off and head out of the battledome's hangar, towards the dark depths of the Hive City.

* * *

'WAAAAAAGGGHHHH' came the unified roar of the Drokkbogz clan as they opened fire on the walled, mutie settlement. A barrage of heavy calibre slugs smashed into crude, rusted plates of scavenged metal, creating either showers of sparks or blasting holes through the surface. The defenders of the town fought back with an array of weapons ranging from primitive blunderbusses, heavy spear launchers, crude bombs and thrown blades.

Rokkits soared across the fetid air and they detonated upon walls, causing the orks to roar in triumph as bits of dirt and scrap were sent up to rain down upon them. Another cryof 'Waaaaaggghhh' bellowed from several dozens of throats as the horde surged into the breach with choppas and bashes raised high. More death followed as gunfire continued to be exchanged between the two groups but the orks greatly outnumbered their opponents and were better armed.

Within the green tide, the Nob Lugrog led his gang of Choppa Boyz forward, the Orks under his command had eschewed the use of any dakka and instead, they fought with either twin blades or a single big choppa which required two hands to properly wield. Uncaring of their losses and seeking only to kill, the Choppa Boyz dashed across the ashen field outside of the settlement and were soon met by several twisted humans clad as well in crude armour. Laughing in feral joy, Lugrog brought one of his choppa axes down upon the head of a human-like creature with long fleshy stalks protruding from its eyes while his second choppa was buried into the back of a wart-skinned hunchback.

In close combat, the mutated humans most often wielded bludgeoning weapons which like those of the Orks, were completely made from scavenged pieces of scrap metal such as crudely sharpened blades metal pipes with rusty nails hammered into the top and some even used clubs made from the bones of larger deep dwelling beasts. One such make-shift cudgel slammed into the right bicep of Lugrog who easily ignored the wound in his berserk rage and he responded by splitting his attacker's face in two before hacking at another. A loud thunderous series of cracks boomed from nearby and several orks were cut down by a hail a sharp nails and scrap.

Turning his attention to this latest of threats, the Nob saw several muties desperately reloading blunderbusses with more bits of scrap and the Ork immediately launched himself at the group. Swinging his two choppas to the sides, he tore open the neck of a bandage faced mutie, causing a geyser of fetid blood to spray over him while his other axe severed the beak of a mutant with bird-like features. It never failed to weird out Lugrog how the umies of the Underworld seemed to possess many different shapes and sizes which even an ork like him knew was just not natural, regardless, as long as they could put up a good fight, he was happy enough to oblige them.

After cutting down another few mutants, the Choppa Nob crashed into the gang of blunderbuss wielding muties and once more, his two axes went to their bloody work. There was a familiar change which now permeated the atmosphere, one which internally pleased Lugrog for he recognized it as the feeling of victory. He had no doubt that when they attacked this settlement, that the boyz would stomp the muties good and the question simply became how much of a fight the defenders could give before they were overrun by the orks.

Cutting down another bunch of muties and taking a few blows himself, the Nob's natural fortitude easily saw him through as he hacked up another foe. With another loud warcry, Lugrog swung both axes into the shoulders of a large scale-skinned mutant which had an almost squig-like appearance and the blades became stuck in the tough meat. The mutant roared in pain and it shot its bony head forward, causing an explosion of pain as stars appeared in the Nob's vision.

Quickly recovering from the strike, Lugrog let go of his axes, the Nob then delivered a power punch into the mutant's gut with his left fist while his right went for a heavy knife attached to his belt. His fist knocked the air out of the mutant's lungs, causing it to double up and collapse to its knees and before it could get up, he drove his short blade into the sharp toothed maw of the thing all the way up the roof of it. Blood and saliva spurted along the Ork's right hand as a feeling of triumph washed over him and the mutant then fell, dead at his feet.

A toothy grin spread over the face of the Nob as he planted his metal-shod right boot over the mutant's head and he pulled his axes out from its fleshy bindings. He saw the rest of the mutants turn tail and flee from the Drokkbogz and he lifted one axe high to roar again 'WAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!'

'WAAAAGGGHHHHH!' responded the boyz around him.

Ever since watching the Boss Match and hearing the proclamation of Warboss Wogroth, a lot of the other clans had been getting all excited about the possibility of a real Waaagh. The betting over the fight had brought much teef to the Drokkbogz clan and now they had the funds to pay for a whole new load of equipment which they were just about eager to try out. All in all, things were good thought Lugrog as he looked up to the dark towering structures of ancient metal above and he wondered what else lay beyond.

His eyes then squinted as he noticed something off; he saw several shiny, flying things descending from the darkness above and it looked like whatever it was, it was coming in fast.

'EYES UP BOYZ!' called another Ork Nob and for a moment, the greenskin horde was distracted by whatever was now coming towards and soon afterwards, they opened fire with all guns. Shortly afterwards, there were several explosions which blossomed from among the horde, followed by the loud chatter of gunfire. Green bodies were torn to shreds by the aerial assault which killed dozens by the second and from the sky came several shining figures which generated a mixture of a loud hum and a series of _thump-thump-thump_.

A sudden, ear-splitting and blindingly bright flash of light exploded in front of Lugrog whose retinas were seared by it and he randomly swung about in enraged confusion. He felt his axe bite into the tough flesh of something but he could not quite tell what it was and his other weapon cut into another thing. Unable to see what he was swinging at, the Nob barely felt it when an explosive tipped lance pierced his back and the charge it carried detonated within the greenskin.

Bits of Lugrog were splattered all over the nearby boyz and many other orks shared the same fast as explosive tipped spears found their way into tough flesh.

* * *

'All units! Engage!' I shout as the rear hatch of the Orca drops and I sprint towards the opening. My hooves barely make a sound as I move across the deck; the drones which travelled in the compartment fly out as well while Tyen controls them and soon I leap out onto the dirt of the city's lower reaches. The Orca is only a few _tor'lek_ away from the ground and I land gracefully before taking a moment to survey my surroundings.

The distinct whine of spinning burst cannon fire can be heard among the sound of battle as vre'Jura continues to clear the landing zone, a mound of dead _be'gel_ surround me as the Drones add to the number kills and I swiftly bring up my Pulse Rifle. Living greenskins are immediately highlighted by my helmets HUD and I press the trigger of weapon which briefly lights up for a _mort'ek_ before a bright pulse round is launched from the barrel. An ork then dies, its brains splattered about as the plasma bolt catches it in the head, another is sent to the grave along with first, killed by a second consecutive head-shot.

From the air, the _Gue'vesa_ Vanguards rappel down long cords as their gunships and drones clear landing zones as well. The Jetbike mounted Chevalier strike like lightning as they descend upon the _be'gel_ with close combat weapons, some plunge down to slay particular targets while others crash into the horde like a _Gue'ron'sha_ bike squadrons.

'Deliver the Killing Blow!' I shout over the comms network as my gun continues to blaze, its side counter shows the rapidly decreasing number of shots available and soon it runs empty. Calmly reloading my Pulse Rifle with well practiced, almost mechanical efficiency, I soon have it up again as the moment of confusion passes from among the greenskins.

Pulse round after pulse round escapes the barrel, the weight and recoil of the Pulse Rifle makes me feel... whole, complete, right, as if the mere act of killing with the weapon fills something inside of me that was missing. More greenskins die each second; their accuracy is as usual, very poor but the _Gue'vesa_ take no chances as they quickly head for what cover they can get to. I continue to hold my ground as I fire more shots, a shield drone guards me as ork bullets slam into the protective field it generates, bright flashes flaring upon the bubble of energy.

Another series of explosions rip among the greenskins, more bullets shred tough bodies into bloody gristle, as glowing or roaring blades sever limbs and heads or are pulverized by heavy bludgeons. Once more as I have done so many times in life, I am surrounded by battle, by bloodshed, by war and again I feel that _Mont'au_ rage well up inside of me. For a sublime moment of clarity and understanding, I find my niche, my place in the machine that is the _Tau'va,_ the place of a warrior, a fighter, a killer.

And so I kill, over and over again leaving nothing but corpses in my wake...


	8. Chapter 5

The body of an ork lands near my hooves, its head was nothing more than a butchered lump of seared meat and I give it no more thought as I gun down another of its kin. Three magazines now lay in the muck upon which I stand upon, the corpses of _be'gel_ , and mutated humans surround me as the muzzle of my Pulse Rifle glows a bright cyan. An explosion form a _gue'vesa_ grenade slays a nearby pack of orks in a shower of metal shards and I keep on shooting, I keep on killing these old and most familiar enemies.

The orks fire back with their guns, solid round kick up clods of mud near me and I fire four more shots which results in two more alien casualties. I then begin running, towards the _be'gel_ with rifle firing on full auto towards the roaring, screaming brutes and they die like the rest. The communications channel becomes filled with human voices, shouting for orders or marking targets but my mind blots it out as the greenskins become all that matters to me.

I fire another shot into the chest of beast followed by a second to the face, double-tap, ensuring that the target is dead and I reload my Pulse Rifle while I continue to move. The Orks roar their predictable war cry, followed by a surge of bodies as they are eager to close in but the _gue'vesa_ are smart, they keep their distance, assisting one another with overlapping fields of fire or strikes from above with their jetbike riders. A small greenskin shouts and leaps towards me with a rusty short blade and I instinctively swing the butt of my rifle towards it and I am rewarded with a heavy smack against feeble flesh and bone as the gun strikes its chest.

Collapsing like a sack, the small greenskin hits the ground and before it can get up I put a pulse round in its spine before going back to the larger orks but I quickly notice that there are far more brutes to deal with. A swarm of gretchin immediately surge forth in a green wave and I begin to fall back while grabbing a photon grenade and I prime it before tossing the explosive over my shoulder. The blacksun filter on my helmet would have protected my eyes from the flash but I did not need it for I had turned around and started sprinting, just enough to put some distance between me and swarm before it detonates and as soon as it does so, I was shooting again.

" _No expansion without equilibrium_ " a voice says at the back of my mind.

" _No conquest without_ _control_ " it continues as I fell three more gretchins with three shots.

" _Pursue success in serenity_ " I hear as the fires of the _Mont'au_ rage burns in my heart.

The last part of the _sio't_ meditation is, like the voices of the _gue'vesa_ , blotted out as a memory comes unbidden within my thoughts and I find myself embracing this particular recollection. It was two songs intertwined, one perhaps the most beautiful chorus that I hear as I end the lives of more greenskins and the other, a breathless celebration of melody and rythm. The sight of the shanty settlement, the _gue'vesa,_ the _be'gel, all_ fades from my mind as I find myself again among the fiery wastes of black ashes, jagged stone and the dark crimson skies.

I find myself on Nahlua...

* * *

 _The_ _Gue'mont'sha swarm our position in a living tide of madness, they care nothing of their losses as they continually repeat the war cry, "Blood for the Blood God" and I oblige them with their own. I lose count of how many human fanatics I have slain today and I know that it is useless to do so for they are, like the y'he or be'gel, eager to throw as many of themselves at us as they can and in the end, they fail. I am standing atop a hill of blackened, charred earth, surrounded by the dead, by bloodshed and the fires of war, by the sound of gunfire and the song coming from hundreds of alien lips._

 _Several black, heavily armoured El'dar wearing morbid, skull-like helmets have taken up position on the hill as well, their large guns rain down a volley of high explosive ordnance on the close-combat focused Gue'mont'sha that dress in the colours of red and brass. Bodies are torn to shreds by the bombardment of_ _missiles_ _and the sight of such destruction fills me with a primal, untau-like sense of satisfaction. Another wave of bodies assail the hill with pistols and blades, they are so tightly bunched up together that it is impossible to miss, I briefly see their nightmarish artillery walkers, Defilers_ _I have heard them called scuttling forth i_ _n the distance but the machines are_ _swiftly assailed and_ _obliterated by a_ _squadron_ _of El'dar aircraft equipped with anti-tank energyy weapons much like the Gue'va Laser Cannons._

 _Cruel laughter emanates from the skull-faced El'dar as they continue to reap a bloody toll among the Gue'mont'sha forces, I briefly glance and notice a trio of warriors which stand out. Unlike the others that share the hill with me, these ones are dressed in black greatcoats_ _decorated_ _with multi-colored diamond patterns and they do not wield missile launchers but rather_ _t_ _hey carry those solid projectile weapons which I believe are called Shuriken Cannons, but oddly, their guns fire rounds that loudly shriek through the air. Regardless of this difference, I immediately see humans explode quite messily from the fusillade of laughing El'dar who seem to take delight in each kill._

 _A great roar echoes in the distance and I see the Burning One crash headlong into a horde of Mont'au devils while accompanied by a mighty_ _host_ _. Massive El'dar walkers fight alongside Burning One, most wield either two heavy fists and an assortment of deadly ranged weapons but others carry giant blades which they swing about in wide, cleaving arcs. The warrior mystics of the aliens follow the Burning One, their bodies shine with an unnatural light as they wield powers that prove to be just as deadly as the weapons of their more conventional warriors._

 _More squadrons of alien aircraft hidden behind their holo-graphic defensive technologies zoom over our heads, they perform deadly strafing runs which leave the rabbles of maddened humans riddled with shurikens and the tide is partially stalled. Taking advantage of this brief_ _respite_ _, I carefully pick my shots and_ _s_ _pot among the horde, a banner carrying, bare headed Space Marine officer wielding a pair of Chainswords._

 _The sight of the twin chainblade wielding Gue'ron'sha brings for the memory of an alien face that briefly comes to my mind, one with pale of skin, long golden hair and features somewhat similar to that of a human, save of course for the slender, angular structure and those piercing blue eyes. His smile is warm, friendly, an odd aberration among the rest of his kind who seem cold, distant and contemptuous of us whenever I see their unmasked visages. I wonder if he is somewhere there among the El'dar army_ _, his voice joining the chorus which is a hauntingly beautiful mixture of sorrow, rage and triumph, a majestic melody which stokes the flames of vengeance and a promise of victory._

 _This is my equilibrium, my control, my serenity, the place where I truly serve the Tau'va. The battlefield is where my purpose as one who follows the Path of Fire is fulfilled. Now when I fight, there is none of the detachment, the cold, calculatingly efficient,_ _the_ _stoic attitude expected of a Fire Warrior, instead there is only hot_ _burning_ _rage._

 _Fueled_ _by the need for vengeance over the death of an Ethereal as noble as Aun'Dai, I feel the anger which rises within my heart, a call for blood that can only be satisfied with the utter destruction of the enemy. The universe has no place for abominations like the Gue'mont'sha and the Mont'au devils they fight alongside and I gladly do my part in delivering them unto oblivion. Taking a deep breath of the filtered air within my helmet, I focus my aim upon the twin blade wielding officer who makes my job easier for not wearing a helmet._

 _A final bright pulse round leaps from the muzzle of my_ _rifle,_ _it directly_ _hits_ _the helmet-less Space Marine officer in the face, killing him instantly as I then reach for a spare magazine and I curse when I realize that I have just used all of my rifle ammunition. Shouldering my spent weapon, I then pull out my Pulse Pistol and I line up a shot with a common Gue'la foot soldier wearing the tattered scraps of an Imperial Guard uniform. The human dies with a well placed shot to the head, his death is followed by more lesser humans who mostly die from the accurate barrage of alien guns._

 _I then hear a sudden sharp sound in the air which I immediately recognize as of being from the El'dar teleportation devices and from behind us instantly appears several alien warriors with heavy packs and assault weapons which fire clouds of razor sharp wire. To my surprise, one of the warlords of the El'dar are among the teleportation units, his appearance is marked by a tall helmet sporting a white mane similar to those used by the screaming female warriors and a cape of white fur, that looked to have been taken from some predatory feline beast. The warlord known_ _as_ _Alatanrieth briefly regards me, a lone Tau among the El'dar and I feel the intensity of his gaze beneath two eye lenses of cold, icy blue before his attention is then turned towards the skull-faced warriors._

 _I hear no words spoken among them but the skull warriors nod and they begin falling back down the hill. A female warrior with a golden maned helmet armed with a heavy gun like the laughing trio shouts something in their lilting tongue towards me and she points from me to the skull warriors. I of course had no idea what the alien warrioress says but I believe I understand her meaning and I follow the sinister aliens and after a mere few paces, they sharply turn around with heavy gun_ _s_ _aimed towards the top of the hill where their warlord still stood._

 _At first I think they are about to open fire on the reinforcements but there is a sudden charge in the air, followed by several flashes of light. In the next moment, six red and brass armored Terminator Marines appear, they quickly lash out with chain and power weapons towards the El'dar teleportation warriors who all disappear at the last moment and the skull warriors unleash a volley of_ _missiles_ _. The teleportation troops then materialize_ _by_ _our flanks, their razor wire weapons unleash a withering hail which would have swiftly shredded apart light infantry but the_ _ir fire_ _prove to merely be an annoyance to the better protected Terminators._

 _Through_ _sheer number of missiles,_ _shrieking shurikens_ _and razor wire_ _,_ _the Gue'mont'sha_ _are overwhelmed as three_ _Terminators_ _fall in less than half a rai'kan and th_ _e El'dar warlord immediately engages the rest with_ _his deadly_ _glowing axe. My own Pulse Pistol seems pitiful in comparison_ _to the alien weapons s_ _o to make up for it, I aim for whatever weak points I can find such as the joints and eye lenses. The weapons of the humans crash into a defensive shield which protects the alien commander whose_ _axe_ _easily cleaves through thick_ _armor_ _and_ _bites deeply_ _into flesh beneath, his movements are next to impossible for me to follow._

 _In the recent campaigns leading up to this one, I had personally heard and occasionally even witnessed the deeds of this alien warlord whose strength and skill makes me glad that he is on our side. This one warrior alone, this so called Autarch Alatanrieth had personally slain several Gue'va leaders ranging from the officers of the Imperial Guard to the champions of the Space Marines and he had even scored a bloody tally the female warrior fanatics known as Sisters of Battle. Great_ _monstrosities of other alien species had also fallen to tha_ _t_ _terrible axe which he wielded, creatures like Hive Tyrants, Carnifexes and the Mont'au died like common be'gel before his wrath_ _._

 _The warlord emits a terrifyingly loud war cry which instantly disorients the_ _remaining_ _Gue'mont'sha, paralyzing them or causing them to slow rather notably in their movements_ _, leading them to_ _make fatal mistakes in the barbaric fury of close combat. In a matter of a few raik'kan, the Terminators are all dead, their heavy bodies thud on the ground, their vaunted power armor ruined by the barrage of missiles, their flesh reduced to steaming_ _lumps of meat but there is no time to celebrate. The tide of lesser Gue'mont'sha that had been cresting the hill are almost upon us, I can hear their repetitive war cries which also includes a "Skulls for the Skull Throne!"_

 _'Tama' I hiss as I reload my pistol while ascending the hill again and before the first of the mad humans reach us, I hear the familiar hums of Kor'ves anti-gravity engines. A shoal of drones fly over us, several of the machines launch a barrage of photon grenades while others activate red markerlights that are followed by a barrage of smart missiles that rain down from the sky, wiping out entire clumps of Gue'mont'sha at once._

 _'For the Empire! For the Greater Good!' calls a_ _furious and_ _familiar, feminine voice over the communications network and before I can make any sort of reaction, I catch a scent which instantly brings me peace. My mind swiftly begins to clear, the Mont'au rage is replaced by a sublime tranquility, a focus that becomes one with the war song of our allies. Looking back, I see, proudly standing upon a hover drone like a hero shown on the Por'hui media feeds, Aun'vre Vior'la Eisha leading a great many number of Fire Caste warriors, auxiliaries, drones, battlesuits and gunships._

 _'Open fire!' commands the Lady Ethereal as she taps the bottom of her honour blade upon the surface of her transport drone and the air becomes filled with the reports of our own_ _weapons._ _Heavy Drones armed with Smart Missiles and Burst Cannons open fire upon the Gue'mont'sha along with Stealth Suits, Vespid Stingwings, Barracudas, and lighter drones equipped with either Pulse Carbines or Railguns._

 _The true slaughter begins when the squads of Fire Warriors, Pathfinders, Broadsides and Crisis Battlesuits take up firing position along with our allies upon the hill. Pulse rounds, missiles, Shurikens, clouds of razor wire and ion blasts massacre the Gue'mont'sha as markerlights guide our aim. Skyrays, Devilfishes and Hammerhead also take part in the_ _slaughter, their mobility_ _and firepower enhances the already devastating barrage, turning it into a complete massacre._

 _Great explosions then detonate among the Gue'mont'sha horde as bomber craft both our own and that of the El'dar deliver their deadly payloads. These last ones prove the most fearsome as the death toll rises exponentially and by the end of it, there is nothing left but a vast sea of broken corpses. I take in the ruin we had wrought upon the savage humans and beneath my helmet, a satisfied smile appears._

 _The El'dar warlord then points his bloodied, gleaming axe towards the horizon, past more fortified encampments of the Gue'mont'sha, towards a mountain, possibly a volcano which glows with an eerie_ _multi colored_ _light. He speaks song-like words which I have no understanding of and the Lady Ethereal calls to our attention._

 _'Tau'fann!' announces Aun'vre Eisha, her perfect voice carries both strength, wisdom and a tinge of cold fury, it was as almost if the hero Ethereal_ _, A_ _un'Shi himself were among us. 'To the heart of the enemy stronghold we march! Over there, we destroy the Gue'mont'sha! There we avenge Aun'Dai!'_

 _'For the Greater Good!' calls the Ethereal with Honor Blade raised high and our weapons are raised in solidarity with her. We then descend upon the charnel scene laid before us, the dead lay heaped about, reaching up to my thighs._

 _Let the Gue'mont'sha throw everything they had I thought. Let them expend their lives like a Tyranid swarm for we of the Fire Caste will burn them away like the cancer they are. Marching through this sea of the dead, I look up and see the darkness gathering ahead, the two songs bolstering my resolve like a flame that turns into a raging inferno._

* * *

The memory of Nahlua and the songs fades; I am looking up to the dark sky of corroded metal, the first thing I notice is silence and a heavy weight on my hands. Looking down, I see to my surprise that I am carrying an Ork solid projectile gun, a "shoota" to borrow their crude terms, the barrel is smeared in green blood and several corpses lie at my hooves. The green gore completely covers my hands, my breastplate and greaves, I can feel it soaking my fatigues and even my own flesh.

I then hear heavy footstep followed by the clattering of plates to my right and I see one of the _Gue'vesa_ Chevalier. The human soldier's armor remains polished and shiny with a mirror sheen to it and upon the surface of it, I see an ugly green thing with red glowing eyes looks at back at me and I realize after a moment of study, it is my own reflection. Aside from the ork blood, there were also scraps of seared flesh, splintered bone and dirt as if I had rolled around on the floor of a Kroot den.

'Are you all right _Shas'vre_? Asks the male human warrior whose voice I recognize belonging to the one I had earlier spoken to, Abelard who holds a green-blood stained sword in one gauntleted hand.

'I am well' I reply as upon the HUD of my helmet, my vitals signs are all good and I feel no physical pain. 'What of the Orks and state of our forces?' I query.

'The greenskins are completely routed _Shas'vre_ , our forces suffered only minor injuries, nothing our medics can't handle' answers the G _ue'vesa_ as he then looks to the area around us.

Following his gaze, I see that several of the _Gue'vesa_ have set up a cordon, their weapons were held at the ready, all aimed at huddled packs of twisted humans. The mutants all had their hands up (or at least an extremity which passed for one), their weapons were laid to the filthy ground which is thick with dead greenskins along with the malformed locals that died defending the shanty settlement. Discarding the heavy ork gun which I barely even recalled picking up, let alone actually wielding, I reach for my Pulse Pistol and am somewhat reassured to know that it is still there.

'I am Shas'vre T'au Sheia of the Fire Caste' I announce towards the mutants. 'I wish to speak to whoever leads this settlement.' For a moment, the twisted humans seem bewildered as they look to one another, one of them begins laughing hysterically before pushing its way to the front of the crowd.

'Didn't I tell you my children!' loudly croaked a raspy voiced, hunched thing dressed in rags, its voice which sounded male had a tone of triumphant glee as it began capering around. 'Unification has come! The day of Ascension has arrived! An envoy of the Tau has come to uplift us!'

A curious madness seems to grip these creatures as they begin prostrating themselves before me. I look to the G _ue'vesa_ whose faces are concealed behind their helmets, thus making it impossible to read their expressions. One of the humans shrug and I contact vre'Jura who still pilots the Orca.

'This is Sheia' I call over the communications network. 'I need you to get a hold of _Por'el_ Kais, tell him we have an entire settlement of mutants to deal with'

'Acknowledged _Shas'vre_ ' replies Jura who cuts the feed and I return my attention to the gathered locals. They are now babbling incoherently about some form of salvation which they clearly think that I will somehow deliver to them. Remembering some of the basic gestures which humans use during conversation, I raise both of my hands up to chest level, palms facing towards them and I call for them to calm themselves with no success.

The idea to fire a warning shot becomes tempting but I refrain for I have no idea how these creatures might react.

' _Shas'vre_?' comes the voice of Tyen.

'Anything to report?' I ask the Earthkin.

'We have el'Kais on the line, standby' answers Tyen and another drone floats out from the rear hatch of the Orca. The machine then hovers a little above the ground between the G _ue'vesa_ and the mutants, it looks upwards emits a cone of holo-light that forms a massive projection of the senior Water Caste member who wears the full vestments of his office.

'Citizens of the Undercity!' announces el'Kais in a grandiose manner; his voice is loud and filled with authority as he wildly gesticulates in an almost comical manner. His proclamation startles many of the twisted humans. 'I am Por'el T'au Kais, envoy of the _Tau'va_ and Herald of the Greater Good!'

'Your faith in the Greater Good has not gone unnoticed and know that we have heard you!' continues el'Kais, the mutants are clearly swayed by the words of the Waterkin; they look upon the mere hologram with as much awe as a _Saal_ who sees an Ethereal. 'Persevere and soon you will know the unity that is the _Tau'va_!'

A great cheer rises up from among the mutants and I shake my head in disgust at how gullible they seem. To be so easily fooled by a mere display of holo-technology was something one would expect from a member of a primitive species which still believed in antiquated superstitions. Such simple minds could be easily manipulated, even by the enemies of the Tau Empire and would be in dire need of a re-education.

'Now return to your homes, rebuild and know that the time of Unity draws near!' finishes el'Kais and the holo-light dies down. The holo-drone returns to the Orca and I give the order to stand down which is reluctantly obeyed, all weapons are lowered and the G _ue'vesa_ await my word.

'Board transports and set course for the nearest military base' I then order. 'From there, our true hunt begins'

* * *

 _A short while later..._

Back aboard the passenger section of the Orca, I stand and hold on to a railing attached to the ceiling, my eyes are downcast as I think about the recent battle. I am bewildered by what had happened, first I was there in the filth of the mutant settlement, fighting _Be'gel_ , next the memories of Nahlua comes and in that time, I have difficulty recalling exactly what I did during the battle. My helmet should have recorded my actions thus I resolve to watch it at the first chance I get.

Glancing towards ui'Tyen, I see him performing maintenance on the Pulse Rifle I had brought and discarded during the skirmish, his work is distracted as he continually casts nervous glances towards me. Slightly annoyed, I leave the _autaku_ to his work, it is not the first time that I see those uninitiated to the grim realities of war finding themselves disturbed by such violence. For those unexpected to fight like the Earth and Water Caste, it is understandable but for a member of the Fire Caste, the fighter pilots or battleship crews of the Air Caste or the occasional Aun who takes part in conflict, such pauses can be a most fatal mistake.

'Five _rai'kan_ until we land' announces vre'Jura and I nod.

From what I knew so far, it seemed that the humans of this world were wise enough to maintain military outposts a few levels above the Undercity. These outposts served as both a second line of defense and an early warning for the humans (the first being the "aberrant populace"). I have also been informed that the military strength of these camps are also bolstered by large numbers of mercenaries who make a living by descending into the Undercity and hunting greenskins or mutants for money.

The material greed of the humans never ceases to amaze me for I have in the past witnessed the extent of what they were willing to do just for the sake of acquiring more wealth. On many worlds which had once belonged to the _Gue'va_ , the rulers of these planets could be surprisingly susceptible in the overtures of the Water Caste, the promises of even greater profits and protection from the Imperium's retribution seemed to be more than enough to turn such leaders to our cause. While many would say that it was proof of the Greater Good's message, that entire facets of an alien society could be made to see reason, I had my private doubts for I was certain that many of our allies served _Tau'va_ did so with with no true altruistic intentions.

I keep such thoughts private of course as we continue to make our way to the nearest local military outpost. The rest of the journey proves to be uneventful as we travel, I hear over the communications network the chatter of the _Gue'vesa_ as they talk among themselves. They joke about hunting and killing greenskins, trying to find the Orks with the biggest teeth and bringing it in for a bounty of money.

Such camaraderie among warriors makes me long for my old Cadre and I wonder how many of the others, those few still fit to serve the _Tau'va_ , fare under whatever new assignments they have been given. Do they still burn with the same fire that saw us through so many wars? Have their new cadres fully accepted them?

Or are they damaged components of the machine? Asked a darker voice at the back of my mind, pieces stubbornly maintaining the appearance of full functionality, blades fractured, ready to shatter at the worst possible moment?

And what of myself I ask and I already know the answer, the real question is the extent of the damage. These personal thoughts have to wait as a chiming sound emanates, a signal that we are about to land. Taking another deep breath of the filtered air in my helmet, I soon feel the Orca lightly touch down, the rear hatch opens, the dropship's loading ramp descends and I use it to disembark.

Before me lies the military camp which will be our main base for the foreseeable future. Rows of more _gue'vesa_ soldiers, these ones equipped with suits of white carapace amor await us in perfect rows. The Replicant Guard, one of the _Gu_ _e'vesa_ Vanguard soldiers had called them, were as still as statues and when they turned their helmeted heads to face us, they move with a single, perfectly fluid, mechanical motion.

The dropships and jetbikes set down around the encampment which from what I could see, was composed of many prefabricated looking structures. Like the battledome and the spires of the upper city, there was a pleasing aesthetic to it architecture, one of clean smoothness which dominated the _gue'vesa_ encampment. One soldier, dressed in armor that is adorned with a single, flat dark blue pauldron over the right shoulder and a long cape like that of a Shas'nel Fireblade, walks up to the Orca ramp where I stand along with Tyen.

'It is a pleasure to meet you Shas'vre T'au Sheia' greets the human soldier and again with perfect precision, the gathered human soldiers plant the stocks of their rifles upon the ground while giving salutes. 'I am Captain Thex of 97th Orosian Replicant Guard.

'I do not believe we have met before' I answer, I recall only a little of this world called Oros which supposedly possessed advanced technology which greatly interested the Earth Caste.

'We have not' professionally replies this Captain Thex. 'We have already received a message from Ambassador Kais of your coming and Alliance Command has granted your regiment clearance to stay, welcome to Camp 1138. Billeting has been prepared for your unit, supplies and equipment are now being requisitioned from the Upper City.'

'That will do Captain, as you were' I nod and the white armored soldiers disperse, again with utterly mechanical precision which uncomfortably reminds of that campaign on Ve'tyra where my old Cadre had fought against a rather ruthless regiment of _Gue'va_ guardsmen who called themselves the Death Korps. Like the _be'gel_ , _y'he_ and the _Gue'mont'sha_ , the Death Korps humans cared little for their own lives and were prone to using mass wave attacks which resulted in appallingly high death tolls. I remembered them for ultimately being very precise in their actions, as if they were more machine than living beings and in the case of the Imperium' armies in general, there was a distinct possibility that yes, these masked humans could be all fitted with obscene amounts of cybernetic enhancements like the red clad priests which called themselves the Mechanicus.

Surveying the camp, I decide that the first thing I need is to get cleaned up for the Ork blood had already begun to congeal and the smell of it was starting to get past my helmet's air filters. Once the business of hygiene was finished, it would be best to give the _Gue'vesa_ I have taken command of time to rest but once that is all done, it would be time to get back out there. The mere thought of hunting the _be'gel_ makes me feel a rush of excitement and I find myself quite eager to meet the barbarians again on the field of battle.


End file.
